Car sharing in Ann Arbor

From the Ann Arbor News:

The University of Michigan wants to bring car sharing to campus in time for next fall, hoping to sign a deal with a national company like Zipcar, Inc.

Details are still up in the air, but the idea is to make car sharing, a trend on some campuses and major cities, another transportation option for professors, staff and students 21 and older.

Companies like Zipcar rent cars by the hour to members, who make arrangements over the Internet and use a credit card-like key to pick up the car from a designated parking lot. Gas is covered by the company and drivers don't need their own basic insurance. When they're done, they leave the car in the same spot they found it.

The founder of Zipcar, Robin Chase, was in town last week to give a talk about Zipcar and related ideas. Apparently she was here for another reason as well! The Ann Arbor Community Car Coop has been running a small car-sharing operation for a year or two, but the resources of the University and Zipcar could make it take off.