Cars available for rent to students of all classes

First-years and many upperclassmen may no longer be confined to campus.

F&M has implemented a car rental system through Hertz to give students without cars (in particular first-years, who are not allowed to bring cars to campus) more access to the Lancaster community. Two cars will be available to rent to students who purchase a yearly membership. 

Membership, which can be purchased online, costs $25 and students can choose from three different plans that will allow for up to 180 miles of travel. The cost to rent a car is $8.50 an hour, including gas.

“The rental car system is something really nice that is going on around the country,” said Barry Bosley, associate vice president of administration. 

Campus parking, though recently expanded, remains unable to accommodate the entire F&M community, meaning first-years are not permitted to bring cars. Concern that this policy limits the exposure of first-years to the surrounding area gave rise to the idea of a rental car system.

Another concern was the environmental implications from every student having his own car. 

“The car rental system is a green initiative,” Bosley said. “It creates a community car that is gas efficient.” 

The two Ford Fusions chosen for the program were selected specifically for their sustainability and gas efficiency, according to        Bosley.

Several companies were considered when the idea of campus car rentals was first proposed, including Zipcar and Enterprise. Ultimately, Hertz was chosen for the benefits it seemed to offer students.

This whole initiative is set up around the concept of a community car,” Bosley added.

First-year Justin Kozloski is a contributing writer. His e-mail is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .