Other Highlights
MAYOR ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA
City of Los Angeles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2009
CONTACT:
Lisa Hansen
(213) 978-0658
MAYOR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CAR SHARING IN LOS ANGELES THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH ZIPCAR
Zipcar’s pilot program with the City of Los Angeles, UCLA and USC provides residents a convenient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to owning a car
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced an expansion of car sharing services in the City of Los Angeles through the expansion of Zipcar’s program on the campuses of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Southern California (USC). Beginning today, Zipcar will add 12 new vehicles in reserved parking spots on city streets in the neighborhoods adjacent to UCLA and USC.
"Los Angeles may be the car capital of the world, but through this partnership among universities, Zipcar and the City of Los Angeles we are opening the door to make car ownership optional for people who live or work here," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "Providing alternatives to car ownership will help improve the environment and the city's traffic congestion."
The pilot program was made possible by a public-private partnership by Zipcar, Mayor Villaraigosa and the Los Angeles City Council and is intended as a first step toward a potentially larger expansion of car sharing in the Los Angeles area.
“Our partnership with Zipcar will give more people a real alternative to owning a car without having to sacrifice the flexibility of having one when they need one,” said Eric Garcetti, City Council President. “This program will cut down on our carbon emissions, reduce our traffic congestion, and help the people of Los Angeles save money.”
Convenient access to Zipcars on city streets is proven to provide benefits to local residents, taxpayers, and the environment. For residents, car sharing helps reduce parking demand and congestion, as each Zipcar takes between 15 and 20 personally owned vehicles off the road. In addition, members report driving 40 percent fewer miles and increasing public transit use by nearly 20 percent, helping to reduce traffic congestion and emissions. Finally, the average Zipcar member reports saving more than $600 per month on transportation costs.
“By making on-street parking spaces available to Zipcar, we make car sharing more accessible to more people,” said Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Chair of the Transportation Committee. “This program will empower the residents of Los Angeles with a new option to save money and reduce carbon emissions.”
Zipcar vehicles are available by the hour or by the day to members, who can reserve a car via phone, online or a mobile device. A simple hourly/daily fee as low as $8/hour and $66/day weekdays, and $9/hour and $72/day weekends, includes parking in the reserved spot, gas, insurance, 180 free miles and 24/7 roadside assistance.
"I am very excited that our partnership with Zipcar will give more UCLA students options for local travel while helping to reduce the traffic impact around UCLA,” said City Councilman Paul Koretz, whose district includes UCLA.
In addition to being able to access vehicles in Los Angeles, members have access to Zipcar’s network of vehicles throughout the state, along the West Coast, across the country and around the world.
“There will be fewer cars in the North University Park area,” said City Councilman Bernard Parks, whose district includes USC. “The fact that people can share cars will cause a decrease in the need for more cars.”
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing service with 325,000 members and 6,500 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout 28 North American states and provinces as well as in London, England. As a leader in urban transportation, Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to savvy city residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car in the city. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.