Bentley: A simple solution to the parking problem

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Written by: The Vanguard Editorial Board

Have you ever found yourself wishing to rent a car for just a day or two? Have you wanted to go somewhere that ISN’T accessible by public transportation, but your car is at home in New York or Wisconsin? Or maybe you missed the Bentley shuttle for a time-sensitive appointment, and you’re now stuck in a frantic state, looking for a ride from basically anyone: from your roommate to your weekend hookup.

Well, if you have experienced any of these unfortunate situations, the solution might be closer than you think.

For a company founded right next door in Cambridge, which caters to college-students and business professionals, you might think Bentley University would have placed Zipcars all over campus. Instead, there aren’t any on our campus, even though Babson, Brandeis, WPI, Holy Cross, and several other schools in the area have joined in on this new transportation phenomenon.

So what exactly is Zipcar?

Zipcar is a membership-based car rental company, which provides two types of driving plans to its members. Both of these plans allow members 24/7 access to cars all around the state and major metropolitan areas nationwide, with gas and insurance included as long as you’re 18 or older.

All you have to do is become a member on their website, add funds to a pass via a phone or the internet, and flash your electronic ZipCard over a sensor on the vehicle’s door. The rest, as you might say, is a wonder of modern technology as the doors to your Zipcar unlock and the ignition starts automatically.

Back to the specifics: a Zipcar, designed for consistent drivers, costs a mere $50/month of prepaid driving time. Once that $50 is up, however, driving is paid by the hour, with most rates around $8.

The other plan, designed for occasional drivers, doesn’t have a monthly cost associated with it, but costs $50/year with slightly higher hourly rates. Don’t be fooled though, both options come with a mandatory $25 sign-up fee.

If this sounds too expensive, don’t worry, most of the colleges offering Zipcars have discounted plans for students, like a $35 annual fee for the occational plan, instead of the tradition $50.

Since Bentley University is so concerned about their limited parking situation as well as their technology initiatives, why not bring Zipcars on campus and encourage students and staff to use them? Zipcars are an innovative way to get around, and would also free up some parking on campus.

We’ve all seen cars in the Miller garage that have sat there untouched for six of the seven days in a week. Why wouldn’t students rather pay per hour for their vehicle, and save hundreds of dollars in insurance costs each month? The concept is so simple, but could really revolutionize driving at Bentley.

Also, despite offering a shuttle to Harvard Square, Bentley does not offer many ways to “get away” or get off campus when it is necessary. Considering a large number of students don’t have vehicles or any form of transportation, they’re all missing out on fun and interesting possibilities that exist outside the campus walls. Also, the shuttle does not run at all hours, and can be very crowded during peak hours. Why not hold the power in your own transportation destiny, instead of waiting patiently for a shuttle that may never come.

Consider Natick or Burlington. Both are two of the closest and most popular retail centers in the area with malls, restaurants, and cinemas that appeal to many college students.

Without a car of their own, students have no way of getting there, along with anything else that’s not accessible through the Bentley shuttle or MBTA transportation. This includes the local Waltham Public Library, Brandeis University, fast food locations, and any supermarket not called Shaw’s.

If we had Zipcars, students could get to where they need to be, or want to be, without any reliance on the “T” or MBTA systems, and wouldn’t be limited solely to the Greater-Boston area. Zipcars could also potentially free up parking all around campus, increase savings to students and offer emergency, temporary vehicles if anyone in the Bentley community were to become stranded.

All we need is Bentley to sign up, and make the initial investment. Aside from that, all that’s missing are a few dedicated Zipcar parking spots. Perhaps we could put one in Lot 18, up by LaCava, one in the lot adjacent to Rhodes, and one in the farm lot. These spots would be accessible to almost anyone on campus.

Bentley administration just needs to get the ball rolling on the new and innovative technology of Zipcarss, and, quite literally, the rest will drive itself.

Tagged as: Editorial, Editorial Board, Op-Ed