Zipcar, the world’s leading car sharing network, and Metrolinx, Ontario’s regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), are expanding their partnership by adding Zipcars to seven additional GO Transit stations to grow the number of seamless transportation options available to GTHA residents, businesses and visitors.

Zipcar and Metrolinx launched their partnership in 2014 by placing Zipcars at six GO stations. With the additional locations and vehicles, a total of 13 GO Transit stations will now have access to Zipcar’s convenient and affordable “wheels when you want them.” The new locations provide more integrated transit options to residents, businesses and visitors in the region and allow Zipcar members to combine GO Transit and Zipcar trips.

“We are pleased to announce the expansion of our successful partnership with Zipcar to provide a cost-effective and convenient travel option for transit riders whose destinations are not easily reached by other means from the GO station,” said Greg Percy, President of GO Transit.  “By providing more Zipcar vehicles at GO Transit stations, we’re giving our customers even more ways to take GO Transit as well as increased access to GTHA communities.”

Zipcar vehicles are now available at the following GO stations:

*  Bramalea
*  Brampton
*  Burlington
*  Cooksville
*  Guelph
*  Oakville
*  Pickering

The seven new locations join the six GO Train stations that partnered with Zipcar in early 2014:

*  Eglinton
*  Long Branch
*  Mimico
*  Port Credit
*  Richmond Hill
*  Scarborough

In addition to car sharing, Metrolinx ensures GO Transit riders have options to go to and from stations by synchronising local transit connections and providing designated carpool parking, electric vehicle charging and bike facilities.

There are currently more than 500 Zipcars at more than 200 locations throughout Toronto, including a wide variety of makes and models, from compact cars to minivans, from luxury vehicles to pickups and from hybrids to cargo vans, making it easy to select the right vehicle for each trip.

Zipcar members can reserve the vehicles, which are parked in designated parking spots, on Zipcar’s mobile app, online or over the phone. The newly added Zipcar vehicles are available for reservation 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Zipcar vehicles, including those located at GO Transit Stations, are proven to reduce personal vehicle ownership, congestion and alleviate parking challenges in cities.  Each Zipcar eliminates the need for 15 personally owned vehicles, according to leading car sharing expert Susan Shaheen of University of California, Berkeley. Zipcar surveyed its Toronto members to learn if they were replacing a personally owned vehicle with a Zipcar membership. Survey results conclude:

Over 80 percent of Zipcar Toronto members do not own a car
Nearly 50 percent of Zipcar Toronto members report getting rid of at least one car after joining Zipcar
Over 60 percent of Zipcar Toronto members say they have postponed buying a car because of Zipcar