Flexcar Brings Car-Sharing to The Ohio State University
COLUMBUS, Ohio--Flexcar (www.flexcar.com) achieves two major milestones as it rolls out a total of 20 total environmentally friendly vehicles on the campus of The Ohio State University this week: the launch of the largest campus car-sharing program at the largest university in the country; and the opening of its 13th U.S. city – the most of any car-sharing company. Beginning today, vehicles are available to University faculty, staff and students as well as Columbus residents for hourly use. A simple fee includes gas, insurance, maintenance, parking and 24-7 emergency service.
The Flexcar program, part of the university’s “Scarlet, Gray & Green” sustainability effort introduced last year, is expected to help relieve the campus parking crunch and reduce energy consumption. With cars conveniently parked around campus, residents and employees alike now have access to a car, without needing to own one or drive one to campus. Studies have shown members of Flexcar increase their use of public transit and sell (or avoid buying) a car, both of which should help reduce the number of cars on campus.
“Flexcar makes it easy to get where you need to go, saving money and hassle while also reducing your impact on the environment,” said Mark Norman, Flexcar’s CEO. “Students love it because it gives them the freedom they crave at a price they can afford. Universities love it because it offers a way to manage parking, congestion and environmental issues.”
“We think the Flexcar program will be a key addition to our other sustainability initiatives,” said Sarah Blouch, Director, Transportation & Parking Services, “Having access to a car on campus will make it easier for people to not bring a car to campus, or consider alternative commute methods, both of which will reduce the number of cars on campus and help us achieve our goals. We also believe that over time, this option may reduce the quantity of state-owned vehicles kept on campus for departmental use.”
The 20 vehicles are parked in multiple reserved spots across campus. Flexcar members can reserve any vehicle online or via touchtone phone, use their Flexcard to open the doors, take their trip, then return the car to its reserved parking spot at the end of the reservation. A simple fee of $8.00 per hour or $55.00 per day includes gas, insurance, 150 free miles, maintenance, a reserved parking spot and 24-7 emergency service. As a special introductory offer, Flexcar is waiving the $35 annual membership fee for people who join before October 31, 2007.
Benefits to students
Students, already used to buying music by the song, find Flexcar’s “point-click-drive” process and pay-as-you-go model a natural fit for their lifestyle. In addition, Flexcar’s diverse fleet, which includes hybrids and SUVs, ensures that students can pick a vehicle to suit just about any trip. It also means they can save hundreds of dollars per month on car payments. First Year students living on campus are not allowed to bring a car, so this provides them one additional option for getting around Columbus.
Benefits to faculty & staff
With high gas prices continuing and with limited parking and increasing rates, driving a car to campus is increasingly cost-prohibitive. Faculty can now leave their car at home, and use Flexcar for university-related trips and meetings (charging the trip to a campus account) or personal errands (charging the trip to a personal account).
Benefits to the community
Car-sharing programs have been shown to reduce cars on the road and increase use of public transit, both of which make getting around Columbus easier. Additionally, Flexcar and the University are making the program available to the general public, which extends the cost savings and convenience to a broader audience.
With this partnership, Flexcar extends its national network of locations as well as its collegiate program. Columbus is the 13th U.S. city of operations for Flexcar, the most of any car-sharing operator. In addition to Ohio State University, Flexcar has partnerships with more than 20 universities, including: University of Florida, Johns Hopkins, USC, UCLA, University of Washington, University of Maryland, Georgia Tech, Portland State University and Emory University, among others, making it the leader in providing campus car-sharing programs.
About Flexcar
Flexcar founded the U.S. car-sharing industry and has operations in more cities (13) across the U.S. than any other provider. By the hour or by the day, members can reserve and drive any of these cars whenever and wherever they need to, without filling out complicated paperwork or paying for insurance, gas or repairs. Flexcar Business Memberships enable companies to augment or replace their fleet with Flexcar vehicles. Flexcar’s University programs enable campuses to address parking and mobility issues for faculty, staff and students. Flexcar's fleet includes environmentally-friendly hybrid sedans, utility vehicles (including pickups, minivans, and SUVs), sporty cars (including MINIs, Miatas and Scion tCs) and luxury vehicles (Lexus). Flexcar is a portfolio company of Revolution Living, an operating unit of Steve Case’s investment firm Revolution, LLC. More information on the company is available online at www.flexcar.com.
Editor's Note: Correct spelling and punctuation of name is "Flexcar" (not Flex-car FlexCar, Flexicar or Flex Car).