A car-sharing service, Community Car, will offer students who bus, bike, walk or carpool to campus the opportunity to reserve a car from the Helen C. White parking ramp starting March 2.
According to Amanda White, Community Car member and relations coordinator, Community Car already rents cars by the hour in other locations nationwide, but until now has not been a part of the UW-Madison campus.
Community Car rents out hybrid-electric and high gas mileage vehicles to people who need a car once in a while. It is very cost-efficient because people pay only for hours and miles driven and do not have to attend to the costs that accompany car ownership or worry about paying for parking, according to White.
It is also beneficial for people who do not drive to campus and have other engagements that require a car, she said.
\Community Car is perfect for [people who use public transportation, bike, walk or carpool] because they can feel more comfortable using those alternative transportation options because they do have access to a car during the day when they need it,"" White said.
Additionally, Community Car provides its members with more freedom than public transportation according to Wayne Pferdehirt, program director of master engineering in professional practice program. In contrast to public transportation, people will have the convenience of getting to places that bus routes do not directly go to.
""A lot of us need a car for limited use but we don't need a car all the time,"" Pferdehirt said. ""This allows us to use our resources in a much more efficient and environmentally friendly way.""
UW-Madison sophomore Andrew George said he believes having the option to rent a car would be very beneficial to the Madison community.
""I don't think Madison is a very friendly city without a car,"" George said. ""There's a good bus system, but a lot of times it's too time consuming.""
Community Car is offering a five-hour and 50 mile free trial in which people can go to one of three information sessions and become familiar with how the program operates, White said.
Anyone can become a member provided they have a Visa or MasterCard credit card, have five years driving experience, hold a valid Wisconsin drivers license, and have had no major traffic violations in the past three years.
