Penn goes green - with cars

Sharing is caring - and it's good for the environment, too.

Yesterday Penn launched a new partnership with Philly Car Share to further promote sustainability efforts. As a kick off, green balloons decorated Locust Walk, Houston Hall and the Penn bookstore.

Philly Car Share is a company that offers registered users access to hundreds of cars in the Philadelphia area to borrow for a short period of time. Under the partnership with the University, faculty, staff and students who need to drive for Penn business can use Philly Car Share for free.

The program marks the first time Philly Car Share has partnered with a university. The agreement is also the largest partnership between a university and a car-sharing service in North America, officials said.

At Penn, for example, the business chair of a club can now set up an account to use for club travel, and department heads can establish accounts so faculty in their departments can use the cars to commute.

The partnership adds to the University's ongoing effort to reduce the number of cars on campus and Penn's carbon footprint. Additionally, 1 percent of the proceeds from Penn's use of Philly Care Share will be donated to a University sustainability fund.

"It's convenient, it's cost-saving and it's environmentally friendly," Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger said. She anticipates popularity for the program, noting that several groups on campus, such as some College Houses, have already set up accounts.

Penn students have been establishing personal accounts with Philly Car Share since 2003 when the first pod - Car Share terminology for a car location - was opened on the corner of 38th and Walnut Streets.

The popularity of the car-sharing group among students was part of the reason the partnership was pursued, said Deputy Executive Director and Philly Car Share Co-founder Clayton Lane.

"Students really love Philly Car Share, and we already serve businesses," said Lane, who is also a Penn alumnus. "It was a no-brainer. It makes a lot of common sense."

As part of the past year's quiet phase of the partnership, Philly Car Share has been expanding the number of cars available on Penn's campus. In total, the presence will grow to a total of 40 cars, roughly double the amount of cars in the area before the partnership.

And thus far, students seem receptive to the agreement.

College freshman John Evans, who signed up for a personal Philly Car Share account yesterday, said he thought the partnership was a good idea because Philly Car Share helps facilitate easy transportation.

"I think it's great because Penn students don't have cars, and it's relatively cheap and hassle-free," he said.

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