Kean University offers Zipcar car-sharing service on campus

By: Xirena Wormley

Kean University has introduced a new transportation option for students, faculty and community residents in the form of the Zipcar rental service.

Zipcar is a community sharing program that provides people in and around the Kean community access to a car without owning or leasing one.

The service, which the university officially launched at its homecoming on Oct. 19, is intended to be a convenient cost effective alternative to transportation for students and staff and reduce the university’s carbon footprint, according to the Zipcar website.

The president’s office at Kean decided to implement Zipcars as a way to improve the experience of Kean students, Rebecca Hoeffler, Confidential Secretary to the president’s office said.

“As a pilot project, the program takes one step forward in our efforts to address parking concerns, as studies show one Zipcar has the potential to eliminate the need for 15-20 personal vehicles,” Hoeffler said.

There are two cars available to rent, an electric blue Ford Focus and a charcoal blue Nissan Sentra. Both cars are located in the Vaughn-Eames parking lot and have their own designated parking spaces.

Kean community students and staff can sign up for Zipcar membership at www.zipcar.com/kean for $25 and must be 18 or older. After the initial signup fee, the cars can be rented for as little as $7.50 per hour and $69 per day, according to an article on nj.com. Rental fees for the vehicles include gas, car insurance and 180 miles of driving per day.

Individuals who sign up for membership must meet certain driving record requirements as specified through the Zipcar website.

Students have mixed reactions to Kean’s new transportation program.

The Zipcar could be useful for traveling long distance, Paakojo Sackey commuter and junior Biology major said. Students who don’t have cars could benefit from using the program. However, for people who have their own car it may not be as useful.

“I wouldn’t stop driving my car just to drive [the Zipcar],” Sackey said.

One student who lives on campus questioned how practical the service is for college students who are on a budget.

Most students on campus work part-time jobs and may not be able to afford the membership fee and vehicle rental fee, said Candice Brighton, a freshman with an undecided major.

As a campus resident, Brighton said the program is a good idea for special occasions, but she can’t justify paying a membership fee for a year of use.

“For students who have money for it, I think it’s a good idea,” Brighton said. “It offers a new was for people who live on campus to get around.”

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