UCLA’s Transportation Services is fighting two battles to
make rental cars available on campus.
Flexcar, a program launched Feb. 4 that allows members to rent a
car by the hour from a campus location, has experienced low
membership levels in the two months since its inception.
The low usage was partially due to a lack of awareness of the
program and the restriction of membership to those 21 years and
older.
The hindrances have led Transportation Services to try
simultaneously to promote Flexcar while working to lower the
minimum age requirement to 18.
The low membership levels were not unusual, according to Flexcar
employees, who said programs at other schools typically began
slowly ““ with few members ““ and gained momentum with
time.
“It takes a while to get going,” said Ryan Grady,
general manager of the L.A. Flexcar office. “We are still in
the preliminary stages … trying to get the word out.”
Flexcar is a privately owned company that has offices in eight
states and serves both universities and the general public. The
company has about 16 locations in downtown Los Angeles as well as
branches at UCLA and USC.
The program been successful at other schools, Grady said, where
the program has existed longer. At the University of Washington, a
school Flexcar has catered to for three years and a school
transportation officials said is demographically similar to UCLA,
the program has been highly successful.
Over 1,500 members of the Washington campus community are
members of Flexcar, said Jamie Cheney, business representative at
the Flexcar office in Portland, Ore. Only a handful in the UCLA
community are Flexcar members.
Cheney said the program’s success at Washington came from
a combination of two factors: the length of time it has existed at
the school and a natural appeal.
“Flexcar is a natural service ““ especially (for)
students, who may have limited or no access to a car
otherwise,” Cheney said.
When asked, many students were not aware of the program.
Students who knew of the program cited the age restriction or
ownership of a car as reasons they would not use Flexcar.
But to certain students, the program can have specific
appeal.
“The primary audience would be UCLA staff, students and
faculty 21 years and older who currently use alternative
transportation,” said Charles Carter, a Transportation
Services program representative.
Chris Uejio, a fifth-year geography student who falls into this
target category, said the program offered a good option for short
trips.
“I looked into it. … If I had a job interview where I
don’t want to risk being late, or if I haven’t stayed
up-to-date with the bus schedules, the program would be
helpful,” he said.
“It takes a lot of the stress off, a lot of the pressures
of looking into alternative transportation,” Uejio said.
Grady said the flexibility of being able to rent a car by the
hour is part of Flexcar’s appeal.
“You can use the car for only the time you need it. …
Lots of people need a car for one, two, three hours,” Grady
added.
Carter said Transportation Services is optimistic about
membership growing.
“We are still in the process of trying to get the word
out.”