Zipcar expands service in Somerville

Zipcar, the car rental service that lets members pick up vehicles from locations on the street or in parking garages, said it plans to more than double the number of vehicles it has available in Somerville in the next year.

Zipcar already has 27 vehicles operating in Somerville under a deal with the city's mayor which both sides say have taken more than 500 private vehicles off of local roads and saved drivers more than $5 million in transportation costs in the last year.

Now the company says it will add dozens more, and the city has agreed to expand the number of parking spots on its streets that it has reserved for Zipcars.

Zipcar members access the cars using a small, digital card that unlocks the doors to vehicles and allows them to function. Members carrying the cards can access any Zipcar at any time, and can also reserve them months in advance. They are then billed for their usage; gas and insurance are included.
(By Keith Reed, Globe staff)