You may have heard the media buzz that Ithaca Carshare has now fully launched its local service. One of the first Ithaca Carshare vehicle placements in this region is right here on campus.
Ithaca Carshare is a membership-based service that provides 24/7 access to vehicles on an hourly basis. As a member, you reserve a car on the web or over the phone. You unlock the car with a special keyfob or keycard, drive it around as if it were your own vehicle, then return it to the same location where you picked it up. When you return the vehicle, re-lock it with the fob or card and leave it for the next Carshare member's use. Your usage time and mileage is electronically tracked and your credit card is automatically charged.
Members pay an hourly and mileage rate for use of the Ithaca Carshare car; members are not charged additional fees for gas, insurance, maintenance, cleaning, or permanent parking.
For the "It's My Car" plan, Carshare membership costs $20/month or $200/year, and the usage fee is $4.95/hour and 20 cents/mile. For the "Just in Case" plan, membership costs $50 for the year, but the usage fee is $7.95/hour and 20 cents/mile.
Compare either membership plan with the costs of owning and operating your own car. Travel industry estimates indicate that the average American household spends over $8,000 per year to own, maintain, insure, and gas up a family car -- a vehicle that is, on average, parked 95 percent of the time.
Thanks to the Traffic Policy Committee and the Office of Parking and Traffic Services, you will find the first prominently marked Ithaca Carshare vehicle parked in a central location under its matching reserved parking space on the Chapel side of the E lot, near the Textor flagpole. Depending upon the number of members who sign up, Ithaca Carshare will evaluate placing additional carshare vehicles in other convenient locations on campus.
Ithaca College's Office of Finance and Administration is pleased to announce that IC is further supporting Ithaca Carshare participation by offering qualified Ithaca College faculty and staff who opt to become members with $50 in driving credit. As a further incentive, for those who enroll before September 1, Ithaca Carshare will cut the one-time $30 membership application fee in half: $15 for IC community members.
Ithaca College has been one of the participating organizations supporting the development of Ithaca Carshare, along with Cornell University, EcoVillage at Ithaca, and the City of Ithaca. Ithaca Carshare also received an alternative transportation development grant from the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
For more information on Ithaca Carshare, including details on how to enroll, visit the website (see below), or call 607-277-3210.
Ithaca Carshare - Home Page
Special Carshare Rates for Ithaca College Employees and Students
