For college students without a car, everything is a little more complicated and time consuming. Transporting groceries to and from the store, visiting anywhere outside of city limits and finding a way to and from Moscow for those long road trips all take a little extra planning.
David Betts | Blot
To help students with their transportation woes, the University of Idaho paired up with companies like Zipcar and Zimride to give students a lift.
The partnerships began in 2011 when UI entered into an agreement with Washington State University to split the cost of a contract with Zimride — a ride-sharing service designed for college campuses, according to Shawna Bertlin, Parking and Transportation Services spokeswoman.
Zipcar — a membership-based car-sharing company that provides vehicles for users — offered to locate vehicles on the two campuses shortly after the agreement with Zimride.
Bertlin said both companies provide great mobility options for campus communities where much of the population may not have their
own vehicle.
“We are in an interesting placement by being so near WSU,” she said. “There’s a lot of students that come to both schools from similar places like Western Washington and sharing these networks between schools allows students even more options for getting around safely and conveniently.”
Zipcar
Bertlin said as of Sept. 17, there were 197 approved Zipcar members on the UI campus, four of which were new in September. She said there were 42 Zipcar reservations in August, and as of Sept. 17, there had been 26 reservations since the first day of school.
“It’s a great program because it gives students the flexibility of having a car without actually having a car,” Bertlin said. “It’s nice for people who only need it every once in a while.”
The university does not pay Zipcar for their services, and all membership and rental fees are paid directly to Zipcar through the company website. Bertlin said the only cost to the university is to make two parking spaces available for the cars.
“It’s a great thing for Zipcar because it gets their company out there and it’s a great thing for us to be able to provide this service to students,” she said.
The other advantage Bertlin noted, is that once people become Zipcar members, they can reserve any of the thousands of Zipcars available across the country — not just the ones available on the UI campus. Users can visit the Zipcar website for a complete map of Zipcar locations.
Zimride
Unlike Zipcar, Zimride does not provide users with a vehicle. Instead it allows drivers who already have vehicles, and are making frequent trips, to connect with other people and share rides for free.
“Essentially it’s a social network for ride sharing,” Bertlin said. “But it’s safer than Craigslist and other options, because you have to be a WSU or Idaho student with a valid email to use the service.”
Zimride users are able to log in with a valid university email address and Facebook account. Once into the system, students can post trips they are planning to take that have available seats or they can post that they’re looking for a ride.
The networking site allows users to see who, when and where someone is going, the route they’re taking to get there and how much they’re asking riders to contribute for gas and other expenses.
“It’s great for people who frequently commute to Moscow or Pullman from other places and it’s also a great option for those one-time, longer trips to places like Seattle,” Bertlin said.
The Zimride contract is split between WSU and UI to allow for a bigger network between the two schools, located only eight miles apart. The annual costs are split evenly between the universities. UI’s share has been $3,750 annually to be a part of the program.
Alternative Routes
Many students are unaware these university-provided options exist and instead turn to social sharing sites like Facebook and Craigslist to find or provide rides to other students.
UI student Nate Caires makes frequent trips to Western Washington and Northern California. He said he’s taken the bus, the train, planes and his own car. The easiest and cheapest way has been to drive and share rides through Craigslist, he said.
Caires said had he known about Zimride, he might have posted about his trips there as well.
“Sometimes I didn’t get serious responses (on Craigslist), but for the most part it’s worked out well,” he said. “My car doesn’t get the best gas mileage, but when you split it between a couple people it’s not bad and it’s nice to have the company. I’ve met some cool people this way.”
How to Zipcar
Join: Visit zipcar.com/uidaho and join the Zipcar network. There is a $25 membership fee for students, and drivers must by 18 years or older with a clean record.
Reserve: Reserve one of two Zipcars available on the UI campus via the Zipcar website or mobile app. Rates start at $7.50 per hour and cover gas, insurance, vehicle maintenance and up to 180 miles per day.
Unlock: Once you’ve joined Zipcar, you’ll receive a card key in the mail. Use the key to swipe into the car and unlock it. Once you’re in, you’re good to go.
Drive: You’ve got the car for the length of your reservation and up to 180 miles. Additional miles come with an additional fee. If you need more time with the car, you can extend your reservation from your phone. Once you’re done, leave the car where you found it. Now you’ve successfully Zipcar-ed.