U Car Share Launches - the Alternative to Car Ownership at Virginia Tech University
Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on September 16, 2009
BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 11 -- U Car Share is expanding its growth as it partners with Virginia Tech by launching the alternative to vehicle ownership in Blacksburg, Virginia. U Car Share allows members access to cars 24/7, thus eliminating the need to own a car or bring one to campus during the school year. Members pay only for what they use, in one low hourly rate starting at $4.95 per hour (plus $0.59 per mile). U Car Share takes care of fuel, insurance and maintenance costs. Hourly rates that include 180 miles free per reservation range from $8.00-$12.00 per hour, depending on the vehicle.
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Anyone 18 years or older with at least two years of driving experience may qualify to become a member. U Car Share encourages students at local universities and colleges to consider using car sharing instead of bringing a car to campus. With several locations on campus, U Car Share is a convenient alternative that can save thousands of dollars vs. owning a car and having to deal with parking, insurance, fuel and maintenance.
Car sharing meets the needs of any individual who needs a car occasionally, while being sensitive to the surrounding community and environment. Car sharing reduces the demand for parking and results in greater sustainability while enabling individuals to retain their mobility.
U Car Share vehicles are now positioned for easy access to students, faculty, staff and the local community. U Car Share has provided six EPA SmartWay certified vehicles, a Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris, Mini Cooper and a Ford F-150. The vehicles are parked at four different locations near classes, residence halls and the Squires Student Center. One vehicle is parked on the Drillfield, two vehicles are parked at the Coliseum Lot, another two vehicles are parked at the Squires Lot and one additional vehicle is parked at the Derring Lot.
Students, faculty and staff will be able to access the vehicle with a U Car Share membership card. They will be able to log on to ucarshare.com at any time and reserve any vehicle of their choice on the U Car Share network. Members can reserve cars for as little as an hour at any time of day. Gas and insurance are all included in one low hourly rate starting at $4.95 per hour ($0.59 per mile). Daily and hourly rates with included miles are available, as well.
Virginia Tech and U-Haul will be conducting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch U Car Share during the Active Commute Celebration on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 10 a.m. at Virginia Tech, on the Drillfield.
"U Car Share is the perfect extension of our business model. U-Haul has been in the truck-sharing business for more than 61 years," exclaimed Amy Cox, president, U-Haul Company of Richmond. "Helping to create greater sustainability through shared-use vehicles is just another way of showing our commitment to our community."
For a limited time, membership is free for all residents, students, faculty and staff (a $25 value). Log on to ucarshare.com today and enter promotion code VT916 when signing up. (This promo code will expire on October 30, 2009.)
"We're excited to have U Car Share on campus, and think it will meet the needs of students and employees who need a car only occasionally," stated Debby Freed, Alternative Transportation manager at Virginia Tech. "This new addition to our transportation alternatives will help us further reduce the number of vehicles used by the Virginia Tech community and continue to move our university's sustainability initiatives forward."
Research shows that car sharing is great for the environment. Every shared car on the road can replace up to 15 personally owned vehicles. This means that fewer cars will need to be manufactured, fewer cars will be on the road and the community's carbon footprint will be reduced. Car sharing is fast becoming a critical element of the transportation network in many cities and universities, enabling residents, students and businesses to get rid of their cars while still meeting their transportation needs.
U Car Share is committed to the community and will work with Virginia Tech to see that the program is successful. U Car Share is very excited to be in Blacksburg and looks forward to the growth of car sharing.
U Car Share is also available in: Portland, Maine; Madison, Wis.; Berkeley, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Regis College, Weston, Mass. and Eugene, Ore.
For more information about U Car Share, log on to ucarshare.com or call 1-877-990-8227.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the best choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,800 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 101,000 trucks, 76,000 trailers and 34,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 395,000 rooms and approximately 35 million square feet of storage space at nearly 1,090 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.
U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up in the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100 percent biodegradable. Learn more about these facts and others at www.uhaul.com/sustainability.
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