Iowa State will soon have an alternative option for students when it comes to transportation. The program is called WeCar, and it is a car-sharing program that will provide options to students without their own cars on campus.

“Basically car sharing is the opportunity to have a car available to you when you need it but without requiring you to necessarily have your own car on campus or always available,” said Merry Rankin, program manager of sustainability.

The company Enterprise will be providing two fuel-efficient cars to be parked on campus for students beginning this fall. This is the beginning of the initiative to decrease the amount of students who bring their cars on campus. As the program progresses there will possibly be hybrid cars and electric cars.

“This is an opportunity to hopefully provide students that alternative to having a car here all of the time,” Rankin said.

This program will be available to all students at Iowa State. The only requirement is that the driver be 18 years or older and have a valid drivers license.

“We are hoping this will reduce the need for everyone to think that the only option that they have available to them is their own car or taking the bus because between those two sometimes can be a little challenging,” Rankin said.

The cost to rent these cars is very low. An hourly rate is going to be about $8 and will include the gas for the car and the insurance package. To rent a car overnight from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. it will be about $35 depending on the vehicle, and all-day rentals will range between $56 to $60.

In order to become a part of the car-sharing programs in the fall, students must pay an initial charge of $35 for a membership. Once the membership fee is processed students are free to rent out the cars whenever they are available.

“This is an opportunity to hopefully provide students that alternative to having a car here all of the time,” Rankin said.