With more students than ever now living on the University of Houston campus, transportation options have expanded. Beyond traditional public transit choices, including the METRO rail that is currently under construction, Zipcar vehicles are now parked throughout campus. The Zipcars are part of an enhanced car-sharing program.
“We definitely want to encourage people to ride our buses and ride the rails around town, but if they do need a car, they don’t have to worry,” said Jessica Mize, marketing coordinator for UH Auxiliary Services. “They have a car here that they can access.”
Students, faculty and staff can reserve the vehicles online for as short as an hour or up to four days. The cost? As little as $6.50 an hour, with gas and insurance included.
“We have a variety of vehicles on campus, so if they maybe need to use a pickup truck to pick up a couch from Ikea or make a big run to Target, it’s something that students can use that they never had opportunity to do before,” said Catie Clemens with Zipcar Houston.
Mize says Zipcars are a benefit to students who want self-serve access to a car 24/7.
“This is going to be a huge benefit to these students that are debating—should I bring a vehicle, should I not?” Clemons said. “They have these cars on campus and that should be a game-changer. They won’t have to pay to bring their car to campus.”