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Car-Sharing Service Expands To Include Miami-Dade

MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) – Do you want to save gas money or simply need a ride? Car-sharing service Zipcar is expanding its program to include the areas of Miami-Dade County.

The South Florida Business Journal reports the company has grown from a service for UM students into a leading car sharing network and competitor to Daimler's Car2Go, a pilot program which started in Miami in July with only two-seater Smart for Two cars. Zipcar's expansion into Miami will feature full-size vehicles.

In fact, Zipcar will offer hybrids, convertibles, sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks, as well as Mercedes C250s and Audi A3s. Vehicles will be located in Downtown Miami, Brickell, South Beach and Coral Gables.

"The program will offer further use of alternative modes of transportation, which will help cut back on emissions, limit traffic congestion and alleviate parking concerns, while helping support the city's efforts to make alternate travel options more efficient, economical and sustainable," Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who helped arrange the program with Zipcar, told the South Florida Business Journal.

Another new offering is "Zipcar for Business", which gives discounted driving rates Monday through Friday. This program helps businesses save money, meet environmental sustainability goals and reduce parking requirements, the company said in a news release.

Zipcar hourly and daily rates include gas, reserved parking spots, insurance, roadside assistance and up to 180 miles of driving per day. Cars can be reserved for as short as an hour or for multiple days. Rates downtown will start as low as $9.75 per hour and $69 per day (24 hours). For more information on joining Zipcar, visit www.zipcar.com.

Zipcar has more than 730,000 members and over 10,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the U.S., Canada, U.K., Spain and Austria. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles.

The South Florida Business Journal contributed material for this report.

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