Zipcar rolls into Vail

A brand-new Zipcar, one of four, was unveiled in Vail on Tuesday on the International Bridge, ushering in an era of car sharing that the town hopes will start to both reduce its carbon output and the reliance of residents, workers, and visitors on single-occupancy vehicles.

With the town investing nearly a quarter billion in taxpayer dollars into three affordable housing projects slated to bring nearly 1,000 residents back into town, there’s a concurrent push to expand public transit and reduce the need for private vehicle ownership. Zipcar may be one of the answers.

“We’re excited about the launch of this program and project,” Vail Town Manager Russ Forrest announced to a crowd of council members, town employees, and a few curious passers-by during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It actually helps address two major goals that the town of Vail has — the first being our carbon reduction goals for both 2030 and 2050

“And I remember when we did Middle Creek (affordable housing in 2002), one of the big challenges was parking, and again, this project, combined with our major investment in public transit, reduces our need for a single-occupancy vehicle,” Forrest added, shouting out Mike Coughlin, the developer of that pioneering 2003 project, who was in the crowd Tuesday.

Beth Markham, environmental sustainability manager for the town, took the mic to extoll the subsidized partnership between Zipcar and the town, which at the moment includes three Toyota RAV4’s and one Hyundai Santa Fe, but could expand to other makes and models.

“They are all-wheel drive vehicles, so you’ll be able to get through the mountains with ease, and they are all hybrids,” Markham said. “So the gas is included within the cost of the vehicle, but the hybrid makes it more efficient, so hopefully you don’t have to fill up that much. We have two vehicles located at Middle Creek Village and two at the Vail Village parking structure.”

Anyone interested should download the app at zipcar.com/vail.

“The app will show you exactly where to get the vehicles and which vehicle you are renting,” Markham added. “We have named our vehicles after iconic runs on Vail Mountain. So we have Cloud Nine, Riva, Prima, and Yonder. As the program expands, we’ll take some fan favorites and name some new cars. Ideally, once this program’s a huge success, we will also add a couple cars down at Timber Ridge Village (one of Vail’s new affordable housing complexes).”

With town subsidies, the Zipcar car-share program so for residents, visitors and employees in Vail will have their $15 registration fee as well as $25 annual membership fee waived. After that the rate will be significantly reduced $9.50 an hour, plus taxes and fees, or $66.50 a day, plus taxes and fees. That will include up to 180 miles of driving, and it’s 67 cents a mile thereafter.

“So the idea is, you don’t need a car,” Markham said. “We have amazing public transportation, and now we have a great car-share program with our partners at Zipcar to really take care of all of your multimodal needs to get around.”

Zipcar, which has been operating in Colorado since 2006, helps facilitate everything from quick trips to the grocery store to a camping trip somewhere outside of the Eagle River Valley. Here are some more benefits courtesy of a town of Vail press release:

The benefits of the Town of Vail car-sharing program include:

• Free membership (regularly $90 for standard membership) will be available for residents, employees, and guests of the Town of Vail

• Affordable Rates for all members in the Town of Vail program available with subsidized rates of $9.50/hour or $66.50 per day, for up to 180 miles and $0.67/mile thereafter

• Dedicated parking for two Zipcar vehicles at Middle Creek Village, located at 145 N. Frontage Road W, and two Zipcar vehicles at Vail Village Parking Structure, located at 241 S Frontage Road E

• Seamless app-based access allows members to join, reserve, and unlock vehicles in minutes

• Ski racks and bike racks on select Zipcar vehicles for easy, convenient access to recreation in Vail and beyond

• Car sharing reduces congestion, parking demand, carbon emissions and vehicle miles traveled, providing an environmentally friendly mobility option that supports Vail’s environmental objectives.

Car sharing complements existing transit options such as the Town of Vail’s free bus system, Core Transit regional bus system, and the Shift Bike regional electric bike share program, giving users a multimodal alternative to owning a personal vehicle in a high-cost resort market where parking and vehicle storage are limited.

Recent data from AAA indicates that average total car ownership costs — including insurance, fuel, maintenance, depreciation, and financing can exceed $12,000 annually. In resort communities like Vail, those costs are compounded by seasonal demand, limited parking supply, and winter driving conditions. Car sharing offers a pay-for-what-you-use alternative — particularly attractive for residents who rely primarily on transit, biking or walking but occasionally need access to a car.

Members can join Zipcar online or via the app, reserve a vehicle instantly or in advance, and unlock it with their smartphone. In addition to discounted membership and driving credit, the cost of gas, insurance options, dedicated parking, maintenance, 24/7-member service, roadside service, and 180 miles per day are included in a Zipcar membership.