The beginning of a New Year is a great time to say goodbye to old ways of doing things and hello to new ideas and approaches. For many people, owning one or even two cars just doesn’t make sense anymore, especially living in such a pedestrian-friendly place as Ann Arbor.
So why not look at the advantages of a new concept—carsharing? Carsharing allows you to have a car when you need one without having to pay the expense when you don’t. The most popular carsharing business in the country is Zipcar. Currently, Zipcar has more than 20 cars in Ann Arbor, with 6 in downtown Ann Arbor and the rest on the University of Michigan campus. In addition, Zipcar has cars in cities all over the country.
What do people use Zipcars for? Zipcar members use cars for going shopping, attending meetings, popping over to events in other towns and much more. One couple even used a Zipcar to drive to their honeymoon after getting married!
To use a Zipcar, you just become a member at zipcar.com/annarbor (if you are affiliated with the UM, go to zipcar.com/umich). When you become a member, you’ll get a special credit-card sized zipcard in the mail. Then, all you have to do is go on the Zipcar website, reserve a car when you want to use it, go to the car and tap your zipcard on the windshield.
When the doors open, hop inside, grab the keys (they are already in the car) and go about your business. Need gas? Every Zipcar has a gascard inside that you can use at any gas station to fill up the tank. Hourly rates for Zipcars are as low as $8 an hour, and that includes the gas and 180 free miles!
Here are just a few reasons to become a member of Zipcar Ann Arbor
| Old Car Way |
New Zipcar Way |
| Paying for a car (including gas, insurance etc) that spends most of the day sitting in your driveway or garage |
Becoming a Zipcar member for around $50/yr and having access to 20+ cars for as little as $8/hr |
| Driving downtown and paying for parking because you think you might need your car during the day. |
Walking, biking or busing downtown because you know you’ll have a Zipcar available if you need a car. Did I mention that parking for Zipcar is free? |
| Having to clean and maintain your own car. |
Having someone else clean and maintain the Zipcars. |
| Worrying that your car is getting a little old and that it might break down. |
Enjoying a variety of new cars, from a Mini Cooper to a Ford Escape, that are part of the Zipcar fleet. |
| Feeling guilty about your car’s impact on the environment. |
Feeling great because you are sharing a car with others and thus reducing your carbon footprint. |
If you’re ready to try something new, visit zipcar.com/annarbor and sign up to be a Zipcar member today!
Attention Current Zipcar Members:
Help us think up more Old Way/New Way concepts. We’ll be tweeting Old Way/New Way ideas (and putting them on our getDowntown Facebook page) throughout the month of January. Share your ideas by tweeting, commenting on our page and posting to our blog.