Zoom, zoom, zoom: Zipcars to come to Davidson

Last Thursday, the SGA senators voted to introduce Zipcars to Davidson's campus next fall by an overwhelming majority.

Allowing drivers ages 18 and up to get behind the wheel, Zipcar works with colleges to provide rental cars for students without vehicles on campus. Already involved with over 230 colleges throughout the United States, Canada and the UK, Zipcar is the world's largest and fastest growing car sharing company.

Zipcars run at either an hourly or daily low rate and come with several amenities, including 24/7 roadside assistance, gas, maintenance and insurance. Once students register online and pay a fee of $35, they receive a Zipcard which grants them access to the cars, and are able to reserve and drive the Zipcars whenever they choose.

According to SGA Senator Pearce Lockwood '14, bringing Zipcar to campus has been discussed by students over the last five years at Davidson. "I saw Zipcar as a great opportunity to help the school so I committed myself to making it happen," he said, highlighting the assistance he received from Dean Shandley, President Quillen and Student Body President Gerard Dash '12 on the project.

After extensively researching the program and what it could offer Davidson students, Lockwood decided to gauge the level of interest on campus to see if Zipcar would be a good fit. With the help of the Zipcar Company, Lockwood created a survey and distributed it to students, faculty and staff. With over half the student body and faculty participating, 97% voted the Zipcar program as an excellent addition to our school.

"Five hunderd fifty-one people said they would join the program today if it was offered," Lockwood said. "We were really looking for a number over 120, so I think we really hit it out of the park when it came to student and faculty interest."

Indeed, faculty responses to this development have been extremely positive. Dr. Pat Peroni, Associate Professor of Biology, pointed out the benefits for staff, faculty and the environment. "I'm surprised that the College does not already have Zipcars," she said. "With a Zipcar, staff members who live in town could probably make do with only one car per family."

The advantages presented to not only the students but also faculty and staff also resonated with Dr. Annie Ingram, Professor of English and Thomson Professor of Environmental Studies. "We sometimes get visiting professors who don't have cars, and having a Zipcar option would make their lives much easier," she said. "They wouldn't have to rely on rental cars or public transportation or rides all the time. I'm so glad [the College is] pursuing this."

Richard Hendrix '15, SGA Senator, also vouched for the Zipcars' positive impact on our campus. "The program will not only be a convenience for hundreds of students throughout the year, but it's going to change the social setup of our community as well," he said. "No longer do those without cars have to rely upon those with them."

Two Zipcars will arrive in August, with half the program being paid for by the college and the other half by the Activities Tax Council (ATC). However, because of its success at other colleges, that might not be necessary for long.

"We actually expect Zipcar to be a self-sustainable program that could potentially generate long-run profit for the school," Lockwood said.

Once the program is underway, Zipcar will send employees weekly to clean the cars. Zipcar pays for maintenance, gas and insurance, and Davidson will be reserving two prime parking spots in the Student Union lot to ensure easy accessibility.

Lockwood and Shandley are currently working with the school's legal counsel in crafting a contract with Zipcar. Once that is complete, students can begin registering online at Zipcar.com, receive their Zipcards and hit the roads after reserving the car via text message, phone call or Internet.

Zipcars aim at increasing the quality of student life across college campuses, with increased access to off-campus cultural events, community service opportunities and career opportunities. With low rates of $8/hour on weekdays and $9/hour on weekends, Zipcars will be available to all students, hopefully increasing parking availability and off-campus activity as well as decreasing our carbon footprint as an environmentally friendly community. "The more I look into the program the more and more beneficial I think it would be to the college," Lockwood states.

"I'm confident that this program will make a lot of people's lives a lot easier and much more fun," Hendrix enthusiastically asserts. "I can't wait to see this great success in action come fall!"