Car Sharing Arrives on Radford Campus

ford focu

The Ford Focus is one of the cars available through WeCar.

In time for Earth Day, car sharing has come to Radford University.

The university is partnering with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to offer WeCar, an alternative to keeping and maintaining a personal motor vehicle. Available to any faculty, staff member or student 18 or older with a credit card and valid driver’s license, WeCar by Enterprise is a membership-based plan that offers cars on a short-term basis.

Registered members have access to a Ford Focus and a Nissan Altima Hybrid on the university's Parking Lot F between Muse and Tyler halls. Rental rates and sign-up information for the RU community are online

"The WeCar program is one more affordable, convenient transportation option for our campus and community,” said Julio Stephens, RU's sustainability coordinator. "Car sharing provides students without a vehicle on campus a way to get out and around as needed. It will reduce the need for cars on campus, enhancing the university's ongoing sustainability efforts."

WeCar members reserve a vehicle online, pick it up using a membership card and return it to the same location. Fuel, basic physical damage to the vehicle and state-required liability protection are included in the standard rates, which start at $9 an hour. WeCar offers around-the-clock access to hourly, daily and overnight rentals while offering a solution for standard rental-car age restrictions.

"WeCar provides students at Radford with a low-cost, convenient transportation solution located right on the campus," said Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president for WeCar and Rideshare at Enterprise. "Our car-sharing program is a sustainable, totally automated and efficient mobility option that can help alleviate parking and transportation challenges at universities across the United States."

WeCar by Enterprise operates car-sharing programs on more than 50 college campuses in the United States and Canada. It also has corporate, government, military and downtown programs nationwide. The company's 13 outlets in the Roanoke and New River Valley areas are among more than 235 locations across Virginia.

Enterprise recruits and hires about a dozen graduates from Radford each year and has about 30 Radford alumni currently on its payroll. A Brand Ambassador Internship program has also been established to market the car-sharing service on the RU campus and in the Radford community.

To learn more about WeCar, visit the program's website or follow @WeCar on Twitter.

Apr 19, 2012
Don Bowman
(540) 831-7523
dbowman@radford.edu