The campus streets and sidewalks of Oregon State University are bustling and filled with bikes, cars, busses and pedestrians. People are constantly trying to get somewhere, so choosing the smartest form of transportation can be essential. Oregon State University and Corvallis have a wide range of options, which recently expanded.

OSU has partnered with Zipcar, a 24 hour car sharing network that allows users to rent cars for as little as one hour

and up to four days. 

For Students, faculty and staff at OSU, the first year membership is $15 with rentals as low as $7.50 an hour. 

Breanna Fraser-Hevlin, a transportation option program assistant at Oregon State Transportation Services has nothing but good things to say about the new service.

“Zipcar is great for anyone who wants access to a car but doesn’t want to bring it on campus or buy one. It’s easy to use and you can join online or through their app. The app allows anyone to open the car with the click of a button,” Fraser-Hevlin said. “Then if you think you will take longer you can extend your usage time in app.”

Students can pick up cars on campus located at 26th and Jefferson by Fairbanks Hall, by the INTO Hall near SW. A Ave. and SW. 16 Street, and the parking

lot near West Hall. 

Users have four different cars to choose from: a Honda civic, a Ford Escape, Ford Focus Sedan and Hatchback. More cars will be added to the collection as

Zipcar monitors usage.

While the service could be great for some, it may not be for everyone. Sarah Williams, a student at OSU, had contradicting opinions about the service. 

“It’s a great idea I just wish it was more monthly. I could see someone using it to go on a road trip, or to go hiking, I just wouldn’t have a need for it,” Williams said. 

Although not for everyone, car sharing promotes environmentally friendly

ways to commute.

“Car sharing is essentially a way to get people into a car that is shared with many people. It’s environmentally friendly because it encourages carpooling,” Fraser-Hevlin said. “It allows people to use cars without owning a car, which also promotes public transportation and bike usage.” 

Zipcar isn’t the only form of transportation sharing in Corvallis. 

For many students, biking is the preferred method of transportation, and OSU makes it easy and affordable to get a bike. 

Through the Beaver Bike Rental Program students can rent a bike for $40 a term. This includes the bike, helmet, lock and key. 

OSU also has the Dixon Bike Shop that for a fee allows renters and any bike owner to get tune ups, purchase parts, have your bike worked on and learn how to fix and maintain your bike. The shop can be found in the Dixon Recreation Center.

Muriel Hayden works at the Dixon bike shop and prefers bikes but believes having

different transportation options

is a positive.

“I think having multiple modes of transportation helps lighten the traffic through campus, but more importantly I think it helps to reduce the number of cars on campus and helps students who live further away to have options,” Hayden said. “Public transportation just seems to make life easier.” 

Recently Corvallis has also welcomed a new bike sharing program called Pedal Corvallis. The service allows users to rent bikes and pay by use. You can download the Pedal app which allows you to locate bike stations, unlock a bike, and track time of use.

The bikes are in various locations in Corvallis, maps and exact stations can be found on their website and app. Bike passes for three days are $5, $10 for a month, and $25 for annual use, it is free for under two hours of use, but any additional hour is $3.

“We will be getting stations on campus in the near future,” Fraser-Hevlin said.