ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - March 11, 2009) - Enterprise Rent-A-Car is expanding its
Rideshare services in the Atlanta metro area, providing environmental
benefits and a hassle-free, cost-saving transportation alternative.
According to a 2008 ranking by Forbes magazine, Atlanta has some of the
worst traffic among the 75 largest cities in America, with commuters here
spending an average of 60 hours a year on the road. What's worse, the study
reported nearly 13 percent of Atlanta commuters spend more than an hour
getting to work. And, according to the American Lung Association, the city
ranks as one of the nation's top 10 for air pollution.
"Ridesharing addresses these issues by helping to alleviate traffic
congestion and parking problems, reduce commuter time and costs related to
driving to work, and benefit the environment through lower fuel consumption
and reduced vehicle emissions," said Dan Miller, vice president and general
manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Atlanta.
Within the next year, Enterprise hopes to nearly double its fleet of vans
in the greater Atlanta area, creating a vanpooling capacity that's
equivalent to taking 2,200 cars off the road, Miller said.
Enterprise is an approved vanpool provider through the Georgia Regional
Transportation Authority (GRTA), which assists 13 Georgia counties that
exceed Federal Clean Air Act standards for ozone and particulate matter. On
average, 1,250 people currently participate in Enterprise's vanpool program
in Georgia each month, making Enterprise one of the largest providers for
these services in the state.
"Enterprise's Rideshare program is an appreciated addition to the area and
this region's efforts to reduce environmental hazards and commuter
expenses," said Dick Anderson, GRTA's executive director. "Enterprise has a
solid background in Rideshare programs in other states, and I am delighted
to see Enterprise join with other private business partners to help reap
the benefits of competition in providing vanpool service to residents in
the Atlanta region."
In Atlanta, Los Angeles and other markets around the country, Enterprise
helps companies create vanpool solutions for their employees, transporting
more than 25,000 riders per day. Under a typical company program, seven to
15 co-workers ride together, each paying one low monthly rate. Enterprise
provides a late-model, well-equipped vehicle, comprehensive maintenance,
roadside assistance, and insurance. Rideshare participants take turns
driving.
Nearly 30 companies in the Atlanta area currently participate in
Enterprise's Rideshare program, including Allstate, Coca-Cola, Georgia
Power, Google, Home Depot, Sprint and Travelport GDS. In addition,
individual commuters can be matched with existing vanpools.
"The program has been especially beneficial for me because my commute is
more than 40 miles each way," said George Dunwoody, a travel manager at
Travelport GDS in Cobb County and a commuter with Enterprise's vanpool.
"Riding in the vanpool saves me money, puts less wear and tear on my
personal car, and allows us the use of the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle)
lanes in Atlanta, which reduces drive time.
"The positive environmental impact is also significant based on the cars
taken off the road; we typically have about 10 passengers in our van,"
Dunwoody said. "Additionally, because we switch drivers, I can read, sleep
or catch up on e-mails on the days I'm not driving."
The Rideshare expansion is just one part of Enterprise's broader commitment
to greener driving in the Atlanta region. In April 2008, the company
announced the designation of four "green branches" in Atlanta, where the
fleets offer a higher concentration of hybrid gas/electric vehicles and
other fuel-efficient vehicles that average a highway fuel efficiency rating
of at least 28 mpg.
More recently, Enterprise added a significant number of hybrids at these
locations, bringing to 230 the total number of hybrids it offers in the
Atlanta area. Customers can now reserve hybrids online or by phone from the
four hybrid locations.
"Solving Atlanta's traffic and air quality issues will require new and
creative approaches," said Mike Williams, director of programs and employer
services at The Clean Air Campaign, a Georgia nonprofit that partners with
Enterprise to promote vanpooling at employer worksites. "We are pleased
that Enterprise is stepping up to provide new services that will certainly
make an impact."
For more information on Ridesharing, call 1-800-VAN-4-WORK or visit
www.vanpool.com online.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car -- along with National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A
Car -- is owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis and has the industry's
most comprehensive environmental sustainability platform, including:
-- Embracing new, clean technologies - Enterprise recently added 5,000
hybrids to its nationwide fleet, distributing them across nearly 80 "hybrid
branches" in 25 markets, including the 10 busiest airports for business
travel in the U.S. In addition to the focus on hybrids, Enterprise has
designated eight "E85/FlexFuel" branches where as much as 30 percent of the
local fleets are FlexFuel vehicles capable of using E85 (a blend of 85
percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). In addition, Enterprise fuels
those vehicles from a nearby E85 fueling station. Enterprise also has
expanded WeCar, its car-sharing program, for corporate customers
nationwide.
-- The world's largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles - Nearly 450,000
cars in the combined Enterprise, National and Alamo fleet average a highway
fuel efficiency rating of at least 28 mpg; nearly 230,000 average 32 mpg or
better; and nearly 425,000 have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's SmartWay certification mark - a distinction the EPA grants to
vehicles that emit relatively low levels of both regulated pollutants and
greenhouse gases such as CO2.
-- Customer Carbon Offsets - Enterprise, National and Alamo customers can
offset the CO2 emissions of their rental cars by opting to pay $1.25 per
rental to fund certified offset projects through TerraPass. The company's
charitable foundation will match customer contributions dollar-for-dollar,
up to $1 million.
-- Research - In 2007, the Taylor family donated $25 million to create
the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald
Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, where top scientists are
working on alternatives to finite fossil fuels by finding new ways to
create fuel from renewable, reliable plant sources.
-- Conservation - The company's charitable foundation has pledged $50
million to plant 50 million trees over 50 years through the 50 Million Tree
Pledge, a public/private/nonprofit partnership with the Arbor Day
Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. So far, more than 3 million trees
have been planted under the program on public lands in the U.S., Canada and
Europe.
All told, over the past several years the Taylor family and their companies
have contributed or pledged more than $120 million to environmental
initiatives. For more information about the full environmental platform,
visit
www.keystogreen.com.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in St. Louis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an
internationally recognized brand with the largest fleet of passenger
vehicles in the world today, more than 700,000 cars and trucks. Enterprise
has more than 160 rental branches in Atlanta, and also operates Enterprise
Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Truck Rentals and an Enterprise Fleet
Management Division throughout the Atlanta market. Enterprise operates a
network of 7,000 neighborhood and airport rental locations in the United
States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Germany. Enterprise of North
America is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the
world's largest car rental network.
As North America's largest car rental company, Enterprise is known for its
exceptionally low rates, neighborhood convenience and its outstanding
service, including picking up local customers at no extra cost. Ranked No.
18 on the Forbes Top 500 Private Companies in America, Enterprise has
branch offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S.
population. In addition, Enterprise has ranked highest in customer
satisfaction among airport rentals in nine out of the past 10 years,
according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study. For
more information about Enterprise, visit
www.enterprise.com.
Contact Information: For more information, contact:
Lisa Martini
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
314-512-2352
Becky Vollmer
Fleishman-Hillard
314-982-9198