According to the Detroit News:
"More available than your roommate’s ride, more reliable than a jalopy and more convenient than the bus, borrow-by-the-hour car rental programs are moving steadily on to college campuses, including the University of Michigan.
Such car-sharing companies, including national brands Zipcar and Flexcar, got their start in transit-friendly and eco-minded cities such as Seattle, Boston and San Francisco. Now, they see the college crowd as a major growth market. . . .
Colleges, like many urban centers, are hubs for people who don’t need a vehicle for a daily commute but occasionally require a car for shopping or daytrips. The car-sharing companies park vehicles at designated spots on campus. Members of the services reserve a vehicle online or by phone, and then pick up and return it at a designated location. Rental rates — $8 an hour at Ann Arbor’s Zipcar — and an annual fee cover use of the car, insurance and gas. . . .
For U-M student Anne Choike, the thought of not bringing her Ford Explorer to campus was, at first, devastating. Now, the second-year law student says she hardly misses it, in part because she uses Zipcar for runs to Ikea or off-campus appointments. . . . Choike said she has made adjustments, such as walking and riding her bike more frequently and running errands in bunches.
U-M looked to Zipcar to as a way to limit congestion on campus and prevent the school from building additional parking decks, said David Miller, director of parking and transportation. With Zipcar, he said, more students can feel comfortable not bringing a car to campus, said Adam Brophy, Zipcar director of business development.
While growing in popularity on college campuses, car-sharing programs have not taken hold in Metro Detroit. . . .
"Car sharing works best in cities with good public transportation," he said. "It doesn’t work in places where most people rely on their cars to get to work daily."