New WeCar service debuts at Rider

By Katie Zeck

The days of relying on friends to get to the nearest supermarket or drug store to pick up a few things or paying the $20 cab fare to the train station are coming to a close for those students who choose to take advantage of Rider’s newest feature in off-campus transportation.
Starting this school year, Transportation Services, in collaboration with Enterprise Rent-A-Car has implemented WeCar on both the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses. Two WeCar Prisues  will be parked in each location. WeCar is a completely web-based car-sharing service that will allow students that have a valid drivers license, even if they are under 25, to easily rent a car for up to 24 hours by simply creating an account on the WeCar website and then reserving a vehicle and a time slot for rates at $9 an hour, $56 a day, and $48 for overnight, according to Karson Langenfelder, director of External Operations in Auxiliary Services.
“The rental also includes gas for up to 200 miles,” Langenfelder said.
Sophomore California native Sol Martinez is eager to use the WeCar and is thrilled with the service it offers other out-of -towners like herself.
“I was so excited when I first heard of something like this being available for Rider students,” she said. “I won’t have to beg my friends to drive me somewhere when I just need to pick up something real quick.”
Langenfelder feels that having WeCar on campus will “provide another avenue for our students to have a productive and social collegiate experience.”
“At the Westminster Choir College campus, freshman are not able to have cars and at Lawrenceville they must pay $200 to register their vehicles,” he said. “In both cases, this program will give students an affordable alternative to accomplish everyday tasks.”
According to Langenfelder, a car-sharing program like WeCar was considered by the Energy & Sustainability Steering Committee several years ago but never came to fruition. However, an evident increase in the demand for easy access to the local community and the growth in enrollment of international and out-of-state students led Transportation Services to introduce WeCar.
As a way to get the word out about the new program, starting today WeCar Wednesdays will occur at the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses where students can see the cars and learn more about how to use the online program.
“Reps from WeCar will be outside the bookstore on both campuses to answer questions and run promos,” said Langenfelder. “WeCar Wednesdays are tentatively scheduled through Thanksgiving Recess.”