'WeCar Wednesdays' Make Ride Sharing Easy

Isaac Mizrahi sat at a table on The Plaza addressing passersby as 10-feet tall, green "WeCar" flags flapped in the wind next to him.

"Have you heard about car sharing at Duke?" he called out to students and other community members as they walked by his table.

It was another "WeCar Wednesday" for Mizrahi, a Duke senior who staffs the table from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. each week inside or outside the Bryan Center, depending on weather, to spread the word about Duke's car-sharing program.

"It's a really good program for the university, especially since it helps promote sustainable efforts on campus," said Mizrahi, the on-campus WeCar brand ambassador. "It's good for the environment, but it's also a good service so people can get around in an easy way."

Operated by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the WeCar service provides access to 16 vehicles for rent across Duke, including West, Central and East campuses, as well as Duke University Health System. In addition to sedans and SUVs, Duke's fleet includes the Chevrolet Volt, an electric car that operates on battery or gas power.

During "WeCar Wednesdays," students, staff and faculty stop and chat with Mizrahi about the car-sharing program and how to sign up. 

Duke community members can register for WeCar online or in-person at a "WeCar Wednesday" with a credit card and valid driver's license (international driver's license, too). WeCar charges a $35 annual fee, but Duke students, faculty and staff who enroll receive an automatic $35 credit upon registration.

Sophomore Noelle Cunningham said she rents a Volt about four times a week to carpool with other students to Hillsborough's Triangle SportsPlex. As a member of Duke's Ice Skating Club, Cunningham said having WeCar on campus has changed the way she and her fellow athletes can train.

"We used to practice once every two weeks because we'd have to rely on friends for rides," Cunningham said. "There's a lot of flexibility with WeCar, so we can rent a Volt five minutes before we need it and head to practice. We can even get back and forth on one full battery charge and not use gas."

WeCar Rentals cost $8 to $10 an hour or $66 to $72 per day, depending on vehicle model. After the first 200 miles, the cost is 35 cents per mile. Fuel, maintenance and basic liability coverage are included. All memberships, reservations and payments are administered and managed by WeCar.

For more information about WeCar, visit Duke's Parking and Transportation website. Duke community members can also stop by WeCar Wednesdays, which are currently scheduled until the end of April.