Car Sharing Appeals to Cash-Strapped Students

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Feb. 16, 2009 -- For 21-year-old Syracuse University senior Jaime Sasso, bringing a car to campus just isn't an option. She's from Miami, and the cost of upkeep, combined with the winter weather of upstate New York, make it too hard.

"I don't know how I would be able to keep up a car here since I've never driven in the snow before," she said. "Just the idea of having to clean snow off my car and stuff like that, I don't know if I'd want to do that."

For Sasso, car-sharing is a perfect solution. It's a transportation option that's spreading across the country and onto many college campuses. The idea is simple: You become a member of a car-sharing company and sign up to use a car whenever you need to run some errands.

Sharing cars is cheaper than owning. Rates vary by city and campus, but students at SU pay a $35 annual fee. They are then charged $9 an hour and $65 a day to use the car. Gas, insurance and up to 180 miles are all free. Collisions are covered with a $500 deductible.

Sasso signs up online and uses her magnetic card to enter the car. Inside, she finds the key, and a gas card for filling up. From there, she's charged by the hour, or by day, depending on how long she needs the car. When she's done, she returns it to the parking spot on campus, and it's ready for the next member.

"If I want to go to Wegman's or something, now I have that option because up until now, I was just relying on friends to drive me places," she said. Sasso and her friends were even considering a trip to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. While they decided not to go, she said it was nice knowing she could have.

While there are several smaller car-sharing companies across the country, the largest is Zipcar. The company started back in 2000 and now has more than 250,000 members worldwide.

Zipcar's current fleet comprises 26 makes and models, including Toyota Prius and Tacoma, Honda Element, BMW 3- and 5-series, Volvo S40 and the MINI Cooper.