U Car Share Receives Best of Utah 2010 Honor From Salt Lake City Weekly

SALT LAKE CITY, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- U Car Share was named Best Cheap Ride in the Best of Utah 2010.  For the past 21 years, the citizens of Utah vote in approximately 100 categories to select their favorite choices. This year, U Car Share made the list and here is what Salt Lake City Weekly had to say, "Utah isn't the best place to live without a car. While our mass-transit system is certainly improving, it hardly compares to those of bustling bergs like New York City and Chicago. And, when time is of the essence, waiting for TRAX can make or break your appointments. Obviously, then, we jumped for joy when Salt Lake City and Ogden joined up with Phoenix-based U Car Share, a subsidiary of U-Haul. The system works as follows: Participants pay a one-time $25 membership fee, then pay rates as low as $4.95 per hour to drive cars available at select locations around the city. The peace of mind that comes with U Car Share? Priceless. UCarShare.com."

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In 2009, U Car Share launched the alternative to vehicle ownership in Salt Lake City and Ogden with 28 low-emission and hybrid vehicles located at various rail stations throughout Salt Lake City and Ogden, as well as being located at the University of Utah.

"We are grateful that U Car Share has been so warmly received and for being recognized as the best inexpensive way to drive around Utah," exclaimed Mike Kemp, president, U-Haul Company of Utah. "We look forward to helping more and more people spend less as they get around and go green.  U-Haul has been in the truck-sharing business for more than 61 years.  With U Car Share in the community we will continue our initiative to create greater sustainability and show our commitment to being a good corporate citizen."

U Car Share allows members access to cars 24/7, thus eliminating the need to own a car or bring one to campus during the school year.  Members pay only for what they use, in one low hourly rate. With a flexible rate structure, U Car Share truly sets the bar in car sharing for the most cost-effective way to drive green. U Car Share takes care of fuel, insurance and maintenance costs.  The flexible rate plan starts each reservation out at $4.95 per hour (plus $0.59 per mile) then automatically switches over to the flat hourly rate that includes 180 miles free per reservation and ranges from $8 -$12 per hour when the flexible rate is no longer the cheaper rate.  This automatically gives the U Car Share member the best rate possible.  All the member has to do is reserve and drive, and U Car Share gives them the best rate based on how much they drove.

Anyone 18 years or older with at least two years of driving experience may qualify to become a member.  U Car Share encourages students at local universities and colleges to consider using car sharing instead of bringing a car to campus. U Car Share is a convenient alternative that can save thousands of dollars vs. owning a car and having to deal with parking, insurance, fuel and maintenance.

Car sharing meets the needs of any individual who needs a car occasionally, while being sensitive to the surrounding community and environment.  Car sharing reduces the demand for parking and results in greater sustainability while enabling individuals to retain their mobility.

Research shows that car sharing is great for the environment. Every shared car on the road can replace up to 15 personally owned vehicles. This means that fewer cars will need to be manufactured, fewer cars will be on the road and the community's carbon footprint will be reduced. Car sharing is fast becoming a critical element of the transportation network in many cities and universities, enabling residents, students and businesses to get rid of their cars while still meeting their transportation needs.  

U Car Share is committed to the community and is very excited to be in Utah, and looks forward to the growth of car sharing.

U Car Share is also available in: Portland, Maine; Madison, Wis.; Berkeley, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Regis College, Assumption College, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield College and Virginia Tech.

For more information about U Car Share, log on to ucarshare.com or call 1-877-990-8227.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the best choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,800 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 101,000 trucks, 76,000 trailers and 34,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 395,000 rooms and approximately 35 million square feet of storage space at nearly 1,091 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. As one of the nation's largest retailers of propane, U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues.

U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving-box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material, and packing peanuts that are 100 percent biodegradable.  Learn more about these facts and others at www.uhaul.com/sustainability.

SOURCE U-Haul