Belmont University and Zipcar, the world’s largest provider of cars on demand by the hour or day, announced a joint partnership to provide Zipcars on campus to Belmont faculty, staff and students as an environmentally friendly alternative to the costs and hassles of keeping a car on campus. The partnership continues Belmont’s commitment to invest in sustainable solutions on campus and marks Zipcar’s entry into Nashville.
Beginning today, two self-service Zipcars (a Toyota Matrix and a Mazda 6) will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cars will be located in reserved spaces between Wright Hall and the Whitten Soccer Field, and they will be available to all staff and students aged 18+, with gas, maintenance, insurance and reserved parking included in low hourly and daily rates. Zipcar was selected as Belmont’s car sharing partner based on its superior technology and operations, membership experience and track record of providing peer universities with a proven, cost effective and environmentally-friendly transportation solution.
“Our partnership with Zipcar strengthens our commitment to provide the Belmont University community with flexible, environmentally-friendly transportation options,” said Greg Pillon, director of the Office of Communications at Belmont University. “We look forward to working with Zipcar to develop the university’s car sharing initiative and provide our students, staff and faculty with a solution that best matches their needs.”
Since 2005, Belmont has offered free transportation to campus for students, faculty and staff thanks to a partnership with Nashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Any student or employee with a Belmont-issued ID card can ride to and from the campus without charge simply by swiping a Belmont ID when boarding. Belmont also offers free train transportation on the Music City Star rail system, operating from Lebanon to downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Park. The partnership with Zipcar represents a perfect addition to Belmont’s transportation services, all of which are intended to improve the environment and relieve traffic congestion on campus and in the local community.
For university students who cannot or do not want to bring a privately-owned car to school, Zipcar provides the freedom to travel off campus to attend interviews, run errands or take a weekend trip. Zipcar also eliminates hundreds of dollars in monthly transportation costs, saving members an average of $436/month or $5,232/year when compared with car ownership – money that can be put toward other more relevant expenses such as tuition and housing.
Faculty, staff and students will be able to join Zipcar for $35 and will gain access to Belmont’s Zipcars for $7 per hour or $60 per day. Local Nashville resident ages 21+ can also join for $75 ($25 one-time application fee and $50 annual fee). All members 21+ will have access to Zipcar’s network of more than 5,500 vehicles throughout the UK and North America.
Among the dozens of colleges that have partnered with Zipcar to reduce traffic, noise and parking demands are MIT, Columbia, Georgetown, American University, Harvard University, University of Minnesota, University of Toronto, University of North Carolina and the University of Chicago.
To join, or learn more about Zipcar at Belmont, please visit www.zipcar.com/belmont.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing service with 225,000 members and 5,500 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout 27 North American states and provinces as well as in London, England. As a leader in urban transportation, Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to savvy city residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. For more information, visit www.Zipcar.com.
