Linfield’s U Car Share program gives students an affordable alternative to having their own car on campus. The only problem is most students have never heard of it.
Established in 2011 the U Car Share program is a branch of U-Haul Rentals and offers students the use of either a 2012 Ford Focus, or a Toyota Hybrid
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students can set up a payment plan during the online registration process, accessed at ucarshare.com.
Senior and Campus Brand Manager Robin Fahy poses with one of the vehicles available through the U Car Share program. Students can pay a day or hourly fee to use the cars for errands or trips.
The cost is $4.95 an hour or $62 a day and includes gas. Cars can be reserved on the Linfield page of the U Car Share website or through the new mobile app, “UCarShare” for students who are already registered.
“I have a car on campus, but it’s always hard to find a spot to park, especially by the HP’s where I live,” junior Megan Beach said. “It would be great to have the option of taking a car that I knew I wouldn’t have to search for a spot to park.”
“There are two parking spots over by the Withnell Commons that Linfield sponsors,” said senior and Campus Brand Manager for the U Car Share Program Robin Fahy. “This means you don’t have to fight for a parking spot either.”
The car share program is another way that Linfield promotes a green and sustainable campus environment.
Students can carpool with these vehicles to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.
“I didn’t know Linfield had cars available to students,” junior Katie Krieger said. “It’s nice that students have the option of using a car, but aren’t driving everywhere like they would if they had their own car.”
Although the program has been at Linfield since 2011, only a small number of students are registered to use the vehicles.
“There are about 15 regular users,” Fahy said, “And typically it fluctuates between 15 to 30 students registered at a time.”
Fahy was chosen to be the Campus Brand Manager as a part of campus employment after a Skype interview with the Arizona-based U-Haul Rental Company.
“We’ve talked with the sustainability coordinator Duncan Reid about how to promote the program more on campus,” Fahy said. “It offers students an environmentally friendly way to get around and is really easy to use, especially with the new mobile app.”
Olivia Marovich / New editor
Olivia Marovich can be reached at [email protected].
