Salt Lake City, the Utah Transit Authority and Enterprise Rent-a-Car announced a new Wasatch Front car share partnership today. Enterprise vehicles are now available for rental downtown, at various TRAX stations and on the University of Utah and Utah Valley University campuses.
Public transportation like TRAX and buses were active near Rice Eccles Stadium as UTA Director of Commuter Services Michael Allegra announced version 2.0 of the car sharing program. The previous contract with U-Haul has expired and Enterprise Rent-a-Car won the bid to supply the fleet of cars residents can now reserve by the hour. Allegra says his organization provides the long haul transportation service but sometimes people still have an extra mile to go before getting to their destinations.
"It’s part of that portfolio of options that we want to afford to our traveling public," he says.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker expects the current 30 vehicle program will expand since the rental process is as easy as riding the bicycle he arrived on.
You just sign up for it, and you get a card and you wave a QR code basically in front of the car, and it allows you to gain access to the car. When you leave you do the same thing and leave the keys in the car," Becker says.
Half of the vehicles available for rental will be energy efficient hybrids. Mayor Becker says this program adds another piece to the larger puzzle of addressing air quality issues and providing residents access to many modes of transportation.