With WeCar by Enterprise, members of the DU community will have access to a car-sharing program.
The University of Denver is partnering with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to bring the company’s WeCar car-sharing program to campus starting Sept. 8, offering the University of Denver community an efficient, affordable, sustainable transportation alternative.
Partnering with WeCar by Enterprise caps off months of work initiated by the DU Sustainability Council, which set off in search of a car-sharing program to complement DU’s other sustainable transportation options in early 2011. Those options include the B-Cycle bicycle sharing kiosks on campus and the Eco Pass benefit, which gives DU students, faculty and staff free access to all RTD public transportation buses and light rail.
By working with WeCar, DU is partnering with a company — Enterprise — led by an alumnus, Enterprise CEO Andrew Taylor (BSBA ’70).
DU students 18 and older, faculty and staff are eligible for membership, as are 21-and-over drivers in the surrounding community.
WeCar offers 24-hour access to hourly, daily and overnight rentals, allowing members to maintain the benefits of a personal car while paying for the vehicle only when they use it.
WeCar’s national campus car-sharing program is especially popular with students because it provides a solution to car rental age restrictions and to financial concerns associated with having a car on campus.
Registered members have access to Ford Focus vehicles parked in specially marked spaces — one on the west side of Driscoll Student Center South and the other off High Street and Jewell Avenue near Centennial Hall.
Once members register online, signing up to use the car is entirely automated. The application fee is currently being waived, and the first $35 annual membership fee is converted to rental credit. Hourly rates start at $7.50 and daily rates start at $55.
“The University of Denver is proud to be one of WeCar’s first car-sharing ventures on a university campus in Colorado,” says University of Denver Chancellor Robert Coombe. “Car sharing through WeCar offers DU community members convenient, sustainable access to a vehicle when they need it, without the expense of ownership. Along with B-Cycle bicycle sharing stations on campus and a multitude of public transportation routes available through our Eco Pass benefit, WeCar provides another way for students, faculty and staff to access our vibrant city and the spectacular Colorado environment. We are particularly pleased to partner with Enterprise, an international corporation owned and led by a 1970 University of Denver graduate, Andrew Taylor.”
WeCar members reserve a vehicle online, then access the vehicle using a membership card and return it to the same location. Fuel — and basic vehicle physical damage and state-required liability protection — are included in the standard rate plan.
“WeCar provides a more sustainable transportation solution to the University of Denver community. It is an efficient transportation alternative that incorporates automated car-sharing technology that makes it quick and easy to access the vehicles,” says Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president of WeCar.
Enterprise actively recruits and hires graduates from DU each year and is working with the University to offer a brand ambassador internship on campus to market the car-sharing service.
WeCar by Enterprise operates car-sharing programs on more than 50 college campuses throughout the United States and Canada, as well as corporate and municipal programs throughout the country.
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