WeCar to aid student transportation

By AUSTIN METZ

Updated: October 3, 2012, 3:35 PM

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Grand Valley State University and Enterprise have teamed up to bring WeCar car sharing to Allendale Campus. The program will allow students, faculty and staff of the school the ability to rent a car while on campus.

“It doesn’t cost the university anything and the transaction is between the user and WeCar… We will provide the location to park the vehicle and facilitate the marketing,” said Kip Smalligan, senior strategic sourcing specialist at GVSU, who also explained that the university will be hiring a student intern that will do the bulk of marketing and education on campus, including WeCar Wednesdays and other marketing events.

The program is set to begin in mid to late October and will start by having two cars, one Ford Focus and one Ford Fusion, parked in Parking Lot D7 that can be rented whenever available.

The cost differs between the two cars with the Ford Focus being $8 an hour and $55 daily during the week and $9 an hour and $60 daily during the weekend. The Ford Fusion can be rented for $9 an hour and $55 daily during the week and $10 an hour and $65 daily during the weekend. The program offers an eight hour max for daily use.

For those looking to keep a car overnight, the price is $35 during the week and $40 on the weekend for the Focus and $40 during the week and $45 during the weekend for the Fusion.

“Expanding choices will all be based on feedback,” said Enterprise representative Sarah Yager. “There are definitely possibilities for new cars depending on usage and it will be based on availability. It will all be technology based so when they try to reserve a car, it will track the time of day and the availability.”

The option of expanding car choice will be considered moving forward and depending on demand, cars may be placed on the Pew Campus as well.

“If the program goes well and there is demand for this then we may be adding additional vehicles,” Smalligan said. “The goal is to have us up to six cars. We may put some of the cars in other locations.”

The idea to bring the program to GVSU began because of the relationship the school already has with Enterprise.

“Enterprise is significant in supplying the university with rental cars and we were introduced through our representative Sarah Yager,” Smalligan said. “I think once we understood the way the program worked, we felt it was a good fit. We are always looking for ways to increase transportation options to not have students drive to campus. It works well into our transportation plan.”

Tim Thimmesch, assistant vice president of Facilities Services at GVSU, said it made sense for the university.

“It is something done at other universities,” Thimmesch said. “Enterprise came in and because we have more students, faculty and staff riding the bus, this gives these people another option.”

For those looking to participate in the program, vehicles can be reserved and accessed by a membership card and must be returned at the same place the car was picked up. Also, students must pay a $35 member fee that the student gets back as credit toward future rentals, and faculty and staff will have a $10 application fee.

All members must be at least 18 years of age, but drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 must prove they are insured on an insurance policy with full coverage and have a parent or guardian fill out an online acknowledgment form.

Not between the ages of 18 and 20? The insurance will then be included in the price, Yager said. Yager also wanted to remind drivers that returning the car on time is a big part of the sharing process.

“Because it is a community-based program, vehicles are reserved for a period of time,” Yager said. “There could be someone waiting for the car. Maybe not at the beginning but as it picks up, (drivers) need to take that into consideration. Drivers can call in to WeCar and find out if rental is available and can extend their time.”

For more information about WeCar or to request more information, visit www.wecar.com.

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Published October 3, 2012 News