Buffalo CarShare brings travel options to students
Buffalo State is now partnering with Buffalo CarShare to make rental vehicles available to students and faculty on and off campus.
With a CarShare membership, residential and commuting students as well as professors and administrators have access to the two vehicles on campus - A Kia Soul in the M-2 parking lot, and a Toyota Prius located in C Lot. There are also other vehicles located in neighboring communities.
"It's convenient," says Creighton Randall, the executive director for Buffalo CarShare."It saves money."
Membership costs $5 a month through May 2013 for the first 100 students and the first 40 faculty members who sign up, and the cost of using the vehicles is $8 an hour. The membership and rental fees cover gas, insurance, and other expenses.
The cars are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for optimal convenience. Students may book a car up to three months in advance. Students may also use a CarShare iPhone app to locate a vehicle nearest to them.
The vehicles, provided by West Herr, will be maintained and cleaned by Buffalo CarShare. The two vehicles on campus are located in convenient places for students.
"We have big plans, but it's important to remember the basic appeal of this service," said Carrie Merritt, business development director for Buffalo CarShare. "I was a member for two years before I started to work here. It's incredibly convenient for those times when you really need a car."
Buffalo CarShare is a non-profit organization, started in early 2007 by four students at the University of Buffalo. It is through donations that they are able to keep this service running for the citizens of Buffalo.
"By putting cars on campus, Buffalo State is not only supporting students, they are supporting the community," says Randall.
Besides giving residential students an additional option for transportation, CarShare offers commuters the opportunity to avoid any circumstances that may leave them stranded at school.
"It's a right fit for our type of campus," said Mike LeVine, vice president of finance and management for Buffalo State. "The potential is there."
LeVine also said he hopes CarShare will help prevent many of the parking issues on campus.
"It [CarShare] meets so many of our presidents' desires for the campus," LeVine said.
In a press release, Buffalo CarShare estimated that as many as 30 parking spaces on campus could be freed through this partnership.
In addition to the convenience offered to students and faculty, Buffalo CarShare will contribute to a more environmentally friendly community.
The partnership will help people become less dependent upon owning separate vehicles, which will result in less carbon emissions.
"These are very fuel efficient cars with very low emissions," said Wende Mix, associate professor of geography and planning and chair of the Parking and Transportation Committee.
Students or faculty members interested in becoming a Buffalo CarShare member need a credit card and at least two years of licensed driving experience. Those who sign up within the next week will receive a T-shirt and be entered into a raffle to win Bengal Bucks.
To sign up, students and faculty need to go to the Buffalo CarShare web site and sign up using their Buffalo State email.
Britney Nowak can be reached by email at nowak.record@live.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE