Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
August 11, 2025
August 11, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Four environment-friendly `Flexcars' roll onto campus

By Katlyn Torgerson | April 22, 2007

The University took another step toward offering more environmentally friendly services yesterday when it announced the creation of a new car-sharing program that will allow students to use one of four available hybrid vehicles for a shared rental fee.

Members of the Flexcar program will have 24-hour access to two Toyota Priuses and two Honda Civic Hybrid sedans, which have permanent parking spaces on Wyman Park Drive, behind the Mattin Center, in the Homewood Field parking lot and adjacent to the tennis courts.

The program is the first of its kind in Baltimore.

City councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke was present at the kick-off ceremony yesterday, showing her support for the program.

"I think it's wonderful; it's good for Mother Earth and students. It's a good model for the rest of the city," she said.

Ralph Burns, the general manager of Flexcar, was enthusiastic about Hopkins' support of the program.

"We're very excited and pleased that we see outstanding leadership at JHU to set sights on being able to provide ... an alternative mode of transportation while on campus," he said.

Although it might seem to some that four cars will do little to fulfill the transportation needs of the Hopkins community, Ryan Robertson, Flexcar's business development manager, believes that for the time being, four vehicles will be sufficient.

"This is a good starting point and as

demand grows we'll add more cars," he said.

The Flexcar program has been implemented at several other universities, including UCLA, the University of Washington and the University of Maryland, College Park.

Flexcar is "always excited to have a great university like Johns Hopkins as a part of the program," Robertson said.

According to Robertson, national studies have claimed that each of the Flexcar vehicles replaces an average of 15 privately owned cars.

"Picture this: you have 15 people sitting in their own cars at a stoplight. Replace that with a Flexcar. It will allow for smoother traffic flow, reduce pollution and parking problems," he said.

"Fewer cars means cleaner air and reduced demand for parking. We envision a day when we have dozens of shared cars on and around campus to provide clean mobility for people who live and work on and near campus," said Davis Bookhart, chair of the Hopkins Sustainability Committee, in a press release.

Bookhart also emphasized that the program is not intended merely for Hopkins affiliates to use, but for the rest of the neighborhood as well.

Freshman Teryn Norris, a leading member of the Hopkins Energy Action Team (HEAT), explained why the student group is so supportive of the new initiative.

"Flexcar is an initiative that fits in really well with what HEAT is looking for, which is innovative technologies and responsible energy use," he said.

He believes that Flexcar is an example of the "innovative solutions that will come about from carbon neutral energy initiatives." He also emphasized that it is an example of how such programs can benefit the Hopkins student body.

Members are able to reserve a car during any time that it is available either via the website or by phone. Each member is provided with a "Flexcard," which unlocks the car, allowing access to an ignition keystored in the glove compartment.

As a special promotion, the program will initially cost $35 to become a member, and then $6 an hour beyond that for the first three months. All costs associated with the car, including gas and maintenance, are covered by the initial and hourly fees. The program is open to anyone 18 years or older.


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