You may have heard the media buzz that Ithaca Carshare has now fully launched its local carsharing service. One of the first Ithaca Carshare vehicle placements in this region is right here on campus. And unlike most car rental programs, Ithaca Carshare membership is open to students 18 and over.
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, re-lock the vehicle with your 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 per hour and 20 cents per mile. For the “Just in Case” plan, membership costs $50 for the year, but the usage fee is $7.95 per hour and 20 cents per 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 parked 95% of the time.
Look for the prominently marked Ithaca Carshare vehicle parked in a central location under its matching reserved parking space on the Chapel side of E lot at the Textor flagpole circle. Depending upon membership signups, we will evaluate placements of additional carshare vehicles in other convenient locations on campus.
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 worked with Ithaca Carshare and TCAT to create a special “BUS PLUS” promotional package exclusively for our students. These “BUS PLUS” bundles offer students access to both modes of alternative transportation at a lower cost.
Two “BUS PLUS” plans are perfect for on-campus resident students who just need to run occasional errands:
“Just in Case” Carshare plan with two 10-ride TCAT passes costs $30.00 / semester. (This program bundle would cost $51.25 if carshare membership and passes were purchased separately).
“It’s My Car” Carshare plan with two 10-ride TCAT passes and 3 Carshare hours included costs $90.00 per semester. (This program bundle would cost $130.00 if carshare membership and passes were purchased separately).
Two “BUS PLUS” plans are ideal for students who live off-campus and mostly commute to campus by bus but still need car access for some errands:
“Just in Case” Carshare plan with a TCAT semester pass that gives you unlimited bus rides any time, costs $130.00 per semester. (This program bundle would cost $186.25 if carshare membership and bus passes were purchased separately).
“It’s My Car” Carshare plan with 3 Carshare hours included, along with a TCAT semester pass that gives you unlimited bus rides any time, costs $190.00 per semester. (This program bundle would cost $265.00 if carshare membership and bus passes were purchased separately).
View all the Ithaca College community plans and rate information at: http://www.ithacacarshare.org/csh_ithacacollege.html
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20080627080259129