Zippity Doo Dah
Car-sharing service caters to one of Dallas’ most walkable neighborhoods
Zipcar, the unique car-sharing service that provides an alternative set of wheels, is expanding to a new inner-city neighborhood: Deep Ellum. The expansion comprises two vehicles with cute nicknames: Clarice, a Ford C-Max, and Shahbaz, a Hyundai Elantra.
"We have, in fact, expanded to Deep Ellum," says Zipcar spokesperson Katelyn Chesley. "We've teamed up with the Deep Ellum Community Association (DECA) to do events and marketing with them going forward."
Zipcar rents out vehicles by the hour and the day. They can be reserved 24/7 to anyone over 21 (or 18 and up for students on Zipcar-affiliated campuses).
Low hourly rates start at $8.50 an hour, with gas, insurance, a dedicated parking spot for easy pickup and return, and 180 free miles per day.
The two Deep Ellum cars are located behind Cafe Brazil, on Malcolm X between Elm Street and Gaston Avenue. That's within walking distance of not only clubs and restaurants, but also the Baylor University Medical Center station.
Zipcar's mission is to enable simple and responsible urban living. Its car-sharing service helps remove personally owned vehicles from the road, which reduces emissions, traffic, and congestion and allows for shorter commute times and more parking spot availability.
Zipcar first entered the Dallas market in September 2014. There are vehicles in downtown parking lots, including Pioneer Plaza; Oak Lawn Library; and Lamar, in the lot under Woodall Rodgers Freeway. Zipcars are also located at Dallas Farmers Market, Love Field Airport, University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and Texas Christian University, as well as along DART Rail transit lines.
Drivers gain access to Zipcars by swiping their membership card across the dashboard — no keys required.
Zipcar's network in Texas also includes programs in Austin, Houston, Dallas, as well as universities in Fort Worth and San Antonio.
