Being without a car in college may not be as inconvenient as it used to be.
As alternative transportation is becoming readily available at Colorado State University, multiple alternative transportation services such as the Bustang, electric vehicle charge stations and bicycle parking spots are available to students 24/7. ZipCar may be an appealing option for students without vehicles, as CSU is doubling the amount of cars available on campus this fall.
In the next week or two, the number of ZipCars available at CSU will increase from five to 11 cars. An average of five to 10 memberships are created per day at CSU, according to Alternative Transportation manager Aaron Fodge.
“ZipCar brings more cars to campus, so that more people will use them,” Fodge said. “In CSU’s case, we already have a lot of students using them, causing demand for more cars.”
ZipCars are useful to the CSU community because they provide an alternative to owning a traditional vehicle, according to the director of Apartment Life, Christie Matthews.
“ZipCar is a valuable tool for students, as it makes it possible for them to get around town, go to the mountains for a day or weekend and not have to bring their own car with them,” Matthews wrote in an email to the Collegian. “ZipCar is definitely a benefit for both domestic students and international students.”
Despite ZipCar being widely advertised around campus and on CSU social media, some students may still be confused on exactly how the service works.
“I do know about ZipCar, but I have never used it myself because I don’t know how or where to even find the cars,” said Marco Vergara, a freshman living on campus without a car.
According to Fodge, the process of getting an account with ZipCar is simple. In order to register for an account, a valid drivers license and a background check is necessary to meet the ZipCar standards. The insurance and gas cost is already provided by ZipCar, as long as one holds a membership.
Fodge said the different shapes and sizes of ZipCars may be appealing to students as well.
“Some have bike racks,” Fodge said. “They come in all different sizes, and they are here for the use of CSU students.”
Collegian Reporter Allec Brust can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Brustyyy.
