Maybe You Don't Really Need Your Car Today

U-CAR and Flexcar offer two convenient alternatives

U-CAR for business

Motor Pool Operation's motto is "We help you get there," and with their new U-CAR rental program, getting there is a convenient and easy walk to Kane Hall to pick up the U-CAR, according to Sarah Sabay, High School Coordinator, UW's Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement program. Sarah likes the automated key pickup and not having any forms to complete. Sarah normally uses her U-PASS to get to work, however, requires transportation during the day to drive to high schools to carry out the mission of MESA. "I do not like to have to pay for my own parking when I am using my own car for work errands," said Sarah, "And I love driving the hybrid cars."

The U-CAR rental vehicles are located in the Central Parking Garage, level C1 (under Red Square). Effective Nov. 1st, cost is $3.90/hr including fuel. The cars are accessible via on-line reservations 24/7. U-CAR is part of Motor Pool's "Clean Fleet Initiative" and is dedicated to supporting the short term transportation needs of the UW community for education, research, outreach and business. "We think of the U-CAR program as a partnership between the UW community, Parking Services, and U-PASS" said Joles Tahara, Motor Pool Rental Program Operations Manager. "Leave your vehicle at home, use your U-PASS to get to and from work and rent a U-CAR for business. Think about the potential reduction on peak period traffic and the impact we'd all have on protecting our environment!"

for everything else

Public Information Specialist Linda Hanlon doesn't own a car. Most of the time that is just fine with her - she loves Metro’s almost door-to-door bus service from her Ballard home to the UW, and she is also a Burke Gilman Trail enthusiast and bicyclist who enjoys the fact that she can get most anywhere she needs to go by bus or under her own pedal power. Sometimes, though, she needs the extra speed or capacity of a motor vehicle. At those times, a click of the mouse gives her access to one of the 168 Flexcar cars, trucks and vans she shares with hundreds of people across the city. Her membership also gives her access to vehicles when she's in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.

Linda drives Flexcars and her U-PASS puts her in the driver's seat at rock-bottom discount rates. U-PASS holders don't pay the initial application fee and they earn Flexcar's lowest hourly rate of $7.70 per hour. Flexcar lets Linda take the cost of auto insurance, gasoline and repairs out of her budget while she gets the pick of the fleet for any given trip. And that's important because she relies on the roof rack of her neighborhood Flexcar Honda Element to get her kayak to the water. For Linda, Flexcar really floats her boat!

The U-COMMUTE News is published twice a year for staff and faculty. For additional information, visit our web site at http://www.washington.edu/commuterservices/index.php. Your suggestions and comments are welcome. Please contact the Transportation Office at upass@u.washington.edu, 206.543.0450 or Box 355212.