Twenty-four hour car-sharing is back in Orlando. The Boston-based company Zipcar will make its official debut today by opening spaces in downtown Orlando. Drivers will be able to get their hands on a Zipcar for a few hours at six locations, including Orlando City Hall, the Orange County Courthouse, Lake Eola, Thornton Park, and Ivanhoe Village.
The company is getting its operations rolling fewer than six months after Hertz ended its 24/7 car-sharing service due to low demand.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer anticipates more Zipcar users as Sunrail expands and new apartments go up.
“Let’s say it’s a two-person family and only has one car, or people that have taken Sunrail in and may need use of a car for a day...I think there are more people doing that, being accustomed to that than there were several years ago,” said Dyer.
The service is currently on the University of Central Florida’s campus. But Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says he wants to give residents more transportation options.
“Everything from being able to have a walkable downtown to having the option to take SunRail on their daily commute to making it a very bike-centric city, and offering car share is another component to that,” he said.
Zipcar has a two-year contract to operate in Orlando and will also open spots today in Winter Park and Disney Springs.