Not 21? Not a Problem, Says Zipcar

As of today, Harvard students no longer have to be 21 to use Zipcar.

In a joint effort among Zipcar, Harvard University Transportation Services, and online ridesharing network Zimride, Harvard will be the greater Boston area’s first college campus to offer the car-sharing program for drivers under the typical age barrier, Zipcar announced today.

"At eighteen, young adults have adult commuting needs, from students needing to move furniture to a worker having to make a meeting across town," said Dan Curtin, general manager of Zipcar Boston, in a press release. "Zipcar is proud to work with Harvard and Zimride on providing these younger drivers with another means of transportation."

The program is part of a one-year pilot whose continuation, according to Zipcar’s website, “will be based on the safe driving record of Zipcar users over the next year.”

Zipcar will double its on-campus fleet to 20 cars, which means that the total number of Zipcar vehicles in Cambridge and its environs will now be somewhere in the 160 range. Zipcar, Zimride, and Harvard officials touted the move as one that will cut back on the number of vehicles in Cambridge’s neighborhoods, make campus commuting easier, and promote sustainable practices.

Harvard students can sign up for the program for $25 per year. Zipcar charges $7 per hour, with day-long rides costing a flat $69 from Monday through Thursday and $89 from Friday through Sunday. Zipcar also offers plans for riders who intend on driving more frequently.

To access Zipcar’s Harvard-specific site, click here.

Photo courtesy of Zipcar.