After all, Portland is Maine's largest, most urbanized city, and it has a mass transit system and a public university. Let's also not forget a large population of young people, significant parking issues in the Old Port and the rest of the peninsula and a growing number of community members concerned with cleaner, more efficient transportation in the city.
You guessed wrong.
In early September, Bates College in Lewiston announced it would be the first community in Maine to welcome Zipcar, a car- sharing service that allows drivers to rent cars by the hour or the day.
This week, the University of Maine in Orono is awaiting the arrival of its own Zipcars, as students, faculty and staff sign up for the service.
Meanwhile, over at the University of Southern Maine, according to Dean of Students Joe Austin, the university has looked into Zipcar but is not considering any agreement with the company at the moment.
Seen as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly alternative to owning a car in traffic-heavy urban areas, the program had yet to make it north of Massachusetts.
The service is largely paid for through fees from members, an hourly fee that varies from $5 to $10, and an annual membership fee that ranges from $25 to $75.
Keith Tannenbaum, assistant dean of students at Bates, said he got the idea to bring Zipcar to campus after visiting Boston this summer.
Tannenbaum oversees student transportation on campus, including shuttle bus service to areas around campus and the Lewiston/Auburn area.
In entering an agreement with Zipcar, the college markets the program and guarantees a certain amount of drivers. If the guaranteed number of users is not met, the college will have to pay the balance.
Parking spaces are at a premium on the Bates campus, making a lottery necessary to assign spots each year, he said.
Zipcars could especially be of use to freshmen, who generally are shut out of the parking lottery, Tannenbaum said.
As of last week, more than 90 people had signed up as Zipcar members to use two new Toyota Prius hybrids. Tannenbaum said if they have 100 to 110 members, the service will support itself and need no funding from the college.
"It's something for those that may consider leaving a car at home, those that are looking to not put mileage on a car, not pay for gas, not pay insurance," he said. "All of that is covered with the Zipcar."
Only recently have car-sharing companies allowed college students under 21 to rent cars.
Because of the high liability risk with younger drivers, car- sharing companies, much like the big-name rental car companies, have prohibited younger drivers from renting, or applied steep fees in rental agreements.
Earlier this year Zipcar and Flexcar, another car-sharing company, dropped their age requirements in order to get on college campuses around the country.
Derek Mitchell, a senior at UMaine, said bringing Zipcar to Orono just makes sense.
"Parking at UMaine, like any other college, is a student's No. 1 complaint and nightmare," said Mitchell, 21.
Parking on campus becomes a monotonous game each morning. If you're not on campus by 9 a.m., you may spend 20 minutes looking for a parking space, he said.
While there are satellite parking lots, parking and walking the distance to class isn't convenient, he said.
Mitchell, who is vice president of student entertainment for student government, pitched the idea to the student Senate. Mitchell was familiar with car-sharing, having spent his freshman year at the University of Southern California.
It may only be two cars, but those two cars could take as many as 40 cars off the streets, he said.
"You're saving money and doing your part for the environment," Mitchell said.
Staff Writer Justin Ellis can be contacted at 791-6380. See his blog at: www.pressherald.com
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