Zipcar Designated a 'Certified Car Share Organization' by the City of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc., the world's largest car sharing service, announced today that the City of San Francisco has designated Zipcar a "Certified Car Share Organization."

The certification, granted by the San Francisco Planning Department, qualifies Zipcar to place car sharing vehicles on-site at new residential developments, in accordance with a mandate from the Planning Department, which states that for every 50 - 200 units in a new residential building, one space for a car sharing vehicle must be made available.  The designation also establishes Zipcar as the largest "Certified Car Share Organization" in San Francisco – more than 800 vehicles in 200 locations throughout the Bay Area.  

"As a 'Certified Car Share Organization,' Zipcar will help meet the demands of San Francisco developers and residents, who increasingly are requesting car sharing at their buildings," said Lawrence Badiner, Zoning Administrator of the San Francisco Planning Department. "The certification also stands as a validation of the environmental benefits of car sharing."  

Mark Norman, President and COO of Zipcar, added, "Developers can better attract tenants by offering Zipcar as an on-site amenity, and effectively cut costs by reducing the overall number of parking spaces necessary, since fewer residents will own cars.  Residents can more easily live car-free with the convenience of a Zipcar just steps from their home.  A car-free life will save money, simplify their lives and reduce their environmental footprint."

Zipcars at residential buildings also support developers in achieving LEED certification – an independent, third-party validation that a building is environmentally responsible. For each Zipcar offered at a residential building, developers receive points that count towards various levels of LEED certification.

About Zipcar

Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing service with 350,000 members and more than 6,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout 28 North American states and provinces as well as in London, England. As a leader in urban transportation, Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to savvy city residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car in the city. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.

Zipcar and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.