Car sharing Numbers Grow on Campus

WeCar, Duke's car-sharing program, has seen its membership grow to nearly 1,200 - a growth of about 400 from the end of the 2011-12 academic year.

With slightly more than 1,700 students enrolled in Duke's first-year class, only 14 percent have permits to park on East Campus. Between cost and limited space, on-campus alternatives like WeCar are proving popular, according to Brian Williams, Duke's transportation demand management coordinator. He said that about 85 percent of Duke's WeCar members are students who use the program to run errands or travel around Durham.

"We're seeing that fewer students decide to bring a car to campus because we have options like WeCar," he said. "It's an easy way to save money on insurance and gas."

Duke has 16 WeCars spread across East, Central and West campuses, ranging from the Chevy Traverse, a crossover SUV, to the mid-size sedan Chevy Malibu and an electric-charged Chevy Volt. Some vehicles have been moved to new locations to accommodate easier access for students and employees:

• Two cars are outside the Keohane/Edens residence halls on West Campus.
• Three cars are outside the Blackwell/Gilbert-Addoms residence halls on East Campus.
• Two cars are parked near the Brown/Bassett residence halls on East Campus.

"We think these spots will make it a lot easier because we've moved the vehicles to spots closer to where students and employees are living and working," Williams said.

For more information about WeCar, visit Duke's Parking and Transportation website. A map of all WeCar locations and types of available vehicles is also online.