Zipcar car-sharing service expands to downtown Tampa

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Car-sharing service Zipcar has expanded, placing cars in three locations in downtown Tampa, and offering drivers another mode of transportation in the center of Tampa.

Zipcar is a membership-based car service. For $7 a month, drivers can reserve a car for as little as an hour, up to a week.

Smokey West, Zipcar's general manager for Florida, says the company hopes to provide an alternative to owning a car for people who live and work downtown. They say the service can also eliminate a family's need for a second car or provide tourists another option to get around.

​"My goal is that Zipcar makes living in downtown Tampa just a little bit better. Whether it's giving up a car or enjoying your walking or mass transit that's here, the water taxi over and all of the transportation options that are available," said West.

Zipcar already has locations at the University of Tampa and Tampa International. Now, six new cars are split between three locations in downtown, including the Tampa Convention Center, the Barrymore Hotel and in Channelside, outside Skyhouse.

Drivers can sign up for the service on Zipcar.com.

The Tampa Downtown Partnership also showed off its electric shuttles Wednesday, which will debut this summer. That service is free and on demand.

"It's another small step in making our city more liveable," said Bob McDonaugh, Tampa's economic opportunity administrator.