Zipcar has announced a new partnership with the city of Golden, Colo., to bring its carsharing service to area residents, businesses, visitors, and students.

Two Zipcars are now available for reservation in city-owned parking spots in the downtown Golden area. The two vehicles — a Jeep Wrangler named “Javier” and a Ford Focus named “Shawshank”— can be reserved by the hour or by the day.

“The addition of Zipcar in Golden represents another transportation option in the community, which is consistent with our goals of providing more access to transportation options and reducing vehicle miles traveled,” said Steve Glueck, director of Golden community & economic development. “A carsharing program like Zipcar can provide an effective and cost-efficient way to handle those trips where a car is necessary, without the expense of full-time ownership.” 

The launch in Golden builds on Zipcar’s presence at the Colorado School of Mines. With a number of students already using Zipcar, Zipcar wanted to expand its presence off-campus, according to the company.

“We’re excited to launch our carsharing service in Golden, giving residents the freedom and flexibility of having access to a car without the hassles of owning one,” said Nathan Huber, Zipcar’s regional community marketing manager. “Bringing our service to the area will also help ease some of the city’s transportation problems like traffic, congestion, and parking demand by encouraging residents to ditch their personal cars in favor of carsharing.”