Avis Acquires Zipcar for $500 million

Belmont has two Zipcars in Belmont Center among other nearby communities.

New Jersey-based Avis Budget Group announced today it has acquired the Zipcar car sharing company for approximately $500 million. Avis agreed to purchase Cambridge's Zipcar for $12.25 per share, according to a press release issued today by Zipcar. The $12.25 is a 49 percent premium over the shares' closing price on Dec. 31. The board of directors for both companies unanimously approved the acquisition and the deal is expected to close sometime this spring.  Zipcar has two car sharing spots behind the fire station in Belmont Center and across from Macy's. Belmont – which has more then 200 Zipcar members – welcomed Zipcar in June 2011 after the Board of Selectmen accepted a recommendation from the town's Energy Committee to allow the …

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Where are the Bicyclists? Selectmen Ask

Volunteers sought for Bike Path Advisory group; Zipcar's coming; storm money finally comes.

Where are all the cyclists? That's the question the Belmont Board of Selectmen asked themselves during its scheduled meeting Monday, Oct. 3, as the board held off naming members of the proposed Bike Path Planning Committee as only three residents volunteered to be members. The committee was created in May to assist the town and board in recommending the direction and financing of the Belmont portion of the proposed bike trail that will run from Cambridge to Berlin in central Massachusetts. Establishing an advisory group was suggested after a public meeting with Transportation Planner David Loutzenheiser from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council concerning several issues of the Belmont section of the Wayside Rail Trail bike path, the most…

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BOS Appoints 'Associate' to Conservation Commission

Zipcar ready to sign on the dotted line; should Belmont have permit parking?

The Conservation Commission will now have “associates” joining permanent appointees rather than associate members. At the Board of Selectmen meeting in Town Hall on Monday, Sept. 26, Chairman Ralph Jones explained there has been some confusion in the past over the number of associate members who join discussions at the Commission’s meetings. The town’s bylaw, he said, states that the selectmen appoint seven members for three-year terms but there’s no mention in it of associate members. Moreover, he pointed out, the board recently learned that the category of associates does not officially exist. Jones, however, said he recognizes the need – pointed out on Monday night by Chairman Miriam Weil – for the commission to have people who are …

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From The Town Administrator’s Office

Zipcar Brings Two to Town; Tennis Courts Done

Also a request to build a monument to name every Belmont resident who served the country.

Zipcar is just about ready to bring at least two of its rental cars to Belmont Center, Town Administrator Tom Younger told Belmont Patch Friday. The Cambridge-based car sharing company that lends automobiles for short round trips, has its eyes on two municipal-owned parking spots they will rent from the town, allowing residents with a Zipcar membership and town employees to use its service, said Younger. An agreement will come "in the very near future," he said. Belmont Center will be the test site and if activity is strong, there is an opportunity other parking spaces will be added in the Center and at locations in Belmont's other commercial centers such as Cushing and Waverley squares. Arlington and Newton also have sites in their towns…

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Zipcars Welcomed To Park Their Autos In Belmont

Selectmen accept Energy Committee's recommendation for car-sharing in town.

The 200 Zipcar members who live in Belmont and others who are interested will soon be able to use the service in their community. The Belmont Board of Selectmen unanimously voted on Monday, June 20, to accept the Energy Committee’s recommendation to allow the Cambridge-based car-sharing company to use public property in town as locations to park the vehicles. “It occurred to me several years ago that Zipcars are an interesting idea for municipalities and their citizens,” said Selectmen Chairman Ralph Jones. “The Energy Committee wanted to look into this because of the virtues of having (the service) in Belmont and the fact that each one removes between 15 to 30 cars from the road,” noted Jones, applauding the committee, and especially …

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Question of the Day: Ready For Zipcar?

The Board of Selectmen will discuss using town property for Cambridge business.

You have likely come across a late model car – a Toyota Prius, BMW 325i or a cute Mini – with the small advert on the door or trunk: Zipcar.  The popularity of the Cambridge-based, membership-based car sharing company is remarkable. What started in 2000 as an idea between friends to share the cost of car usage – members are not responsibility for gas, insurance, maintenance, parking or lease payments – now encompasses more than half a million members (Zipsters) who can use 8,000 cars in 28 states.  While most of the locations that Zipcars can be shared are in neighborhoods in larger cities and on college campuses such as The George Washington University, the company is expanding to close by suburban locations like Newton Center. With the …

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Belmont: Leave the Car – Take the Alternative

Energy Committee's Transportation Subcommittee discusses how to inspire people to option out of driving and take up walking, biking, sharing and riding public transport.

As they look back on one win ("Stretch" code) and one issue tabled (the tree replacement bylaw) at the recent Town Meeting, Belmont's Energy Committee hinted towards robust plans for future climate conscious practices regarding how Belmont resident get about town. When speaking of reducing emissions and one's personal carbon foot print in the area of transportation, the Energy Committee faces the challenge of reaching beyond just arguing on the side of  sustainable living. The committee recognizes that residents will need to first acknowledge the impact of their current mode of transportation on the environment, realize that alternatives to moving from point A to point B exist, and then set those alternatives into practice. At their last …

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