You Need ZipCar, Trust me on this.

I used to love driving my 4×4 Jeep Wrangler… late nights on empty roads with the moon and a cool breeze, cross-country road trips with my dog and my favorite music, aimlessly meandering along country roads and finding unexpected beauty in rural settings… all part of the American experience.  If I ever write The Great American Novel, those scenes will most likely assault your imagination.

But several years ago, a confluence of events culminated in me walking and biking away from car ownership: road rage too often boiled my blood, irresponsible driving choices needed checking, environmental and philosophical decisions begged for action not words, and the finances of owning a car in a community and region that offered so many alternative transportation options seemed nonsensical.

So, I’m the weird guy who doesn’t drive a car and I love it… it never fails to make for a great conversation.  Some folks just don’t see how it’s possible to live without a car, but I’m living proof that it is.  Here are just a few scenarios that most car drivers can’t fathom completing without a car, and then my solution.

• Sacramento Airport: Yolo Bus runs cheap regular service on the hours from all over Davis; Davis Airporter is direct from your home but costs $20, and best yet is building your own Airport Karma Circle of Friends.
• Grocery Store: With a plethora of neighborhood grocery stores, everyone in Davis is a short bike ride away from an easy-to-carry week’s worth of groceries.
• SF or Sacramento: Amtrak!
• Dog Food: OK, that’s a tough one, those huge bags of food for my big puppy require me to catch a ride with a friend.

Lately, however, I’ve felt like my style is being cramped.  I’d like to take the dog hiking more often, and relying on friends to go skiing in Tahoe with all of my gear is a logistical problem.  When I have guests in town, I usually rent an over-priced rental car and occasionally rely on the kindness of friends who don’t mind sharing their vehicle for a few days.

But now a solution is at hand!  Last week, the City Council took the necessary steps to welcome ZipCar, one of the world’s preeminent carsharing programs, to Davis.

How does it work? Once you’ve (1) joined the program (costs below), then you log on to the ZipCar internet site and (2) reserve a vehicle for any amount of time in hour or day increments.  Then, walk to the convenient, city-provided, parking spot where that car “lives”. Locations are TBD but will probably include the Train Station, University Mall and perhaps South Davis; members will also have access to the ZipCars on the campus of UC Davis.  (3) Swipe your card over the car and voila, doors unlock.  Inside the vehicle, you’ll find the ignition key and a gas card.  Then, (4) you’re driving on your way to vehicular freedom without the commitment of a monthly car payment, insurance, and the dread of unforseen maintenance costs… sounds great, huh?  Here are the nitty gritty details:

Vehicle rates:

a. City/Community member rates will be $8 per hour and $66 per day during the week and $9 per hour and $72 per day on the weekend. Rates include fuel, insurance, parking, 24/7 roadside assistance and maintenance.

Membership Fees/Policies:

a. Application fee for Community members: $25
b. Annual Membership fee: $50
c. In the first year of membership, Zipcar will credit the annual membership fee back in free driving, to encourage community membership growth and engagement. The credit would be active for the first 30 days after signing up for the service.
d. City of Davis, Davis Joint Unified School District, and Yolo County employees may join for a $25 application fee and no annual membership fee for the first year.
e. Residents living in the City’s designated affordable housing units (owner occupied and rental units), join for a $25 application fee and no annual membership fee for the first year.
f. Zipcar will allow UC Davis students, at least age 18, to use Davis City Zipcars.
g. Zipcar will offer the Zipcar for business program to Davis businesses. This will encourage businesses to reduce their vehicle fleet, while still having vehicle available for employees when needed.

Upon reading Bob Dunning‘s first paragraph in his column on July 29th, I thought that surely everyone would agree that having ZipCar is great… and a pat on the back for serving on the Climate Action Team is always appreciated,

At long last, we have something very special coming our way thanks to the members of our hard-working Climate Action Team. I mean, chasing carbon footprints can sometimes be a thankless task, but when it pays off with a new car in the garage, it’s time for someone to take a bow.

Bob goes on to grasp a few of the more salient points of the program, but then drops the ball on the most important aspects: accessibility, affordability and carbon footprint reduction.

While the Avis in East Davis or the Enterprise Rent-a-Car in South Davis may be convenient to some, the long-term goal of ZipCar is to have vehicles placed all over town that are easily accessible to all citizens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As for affordability, Mr. Dunning forgets about all the add-on costs of renting a car at a traditional outlet: gas, insurance, taxes and the other random fees that always show up.  ZipCar hourly rates include insurance, gas, and taxes… what you see is what you get.  Add on a full tank of gas at $40 to Bob’s low price of $35 for a daily rental from Avis, then tack on insurance and fees… ZipCar is more affordable for the day, especially if you’re driving a significant distance.   But, let’s compare to owning your own car, because that is the goal: changing behavior so that you don’t need to own a car.  The average true cost of owning a car is about $6,000 a year.  Would you spend less than that if you biked, took public transport and joined ZipCar?

As for the green benefits, ZipCar estimates that each one of their vehicles takes 15-20 cars off the road.  Rather take a scholar’s word? Click here.

So beginning in September, you’ll have the choice:  Can your family exist on only one car in the garage? Can you give up car ownership completely?