vehicle a little easier. 

Hourcar, a Twin 

Cities car sharing service, launched a partnership with Metro Transit on Friday,  making Hourcar services accessible through Go-To transit passes. And some say the new relationship could make different transportation options more readily available. 

The partnership will 

allow  Go-To card, U-Pass , Metropass  and College Pass  holders to check out an Hourcar at one of its pickup locations.   

Hourcar users previously had to use a separate key card to lock and unlock the vehicles.   

Hourcar Program 

Director Manager Megan Hansen  said the car ride can’t be paid for using the pass, but said Metro Transit and Hourcar hope to integrate payment with the passes in the future. 

The new service may help Twin Cities 

residents who don’t have access to their own cars, said Frank Douma, a 

transportation research fellow at the University’s Humphrey School of 

Public Affairs. 

“It is that much more convenient to pick up an Hourcar when a bus or bike won’t work for you,” he said.

Metro Transit officials hope the new service will offer more options for 

environmentally -friendly travel, Market 

Development Specialist Adam Mehl  said.

Gender, women and sexuality studies  junior Abigail Floy  commutes to campus and said she prefers to drive come winter time.

“It’s too cold to be standing outside waiting for the bus,” she said. 

“…[With the partnership], you don’t have to worry about how to get to school because you can always hop on the bus or the train. It definitely takes off some of that stress and anxiety.”

Though natural 

resources science and management  graduate student Trevor Host  owns a car, he bikes to class to avoid looking for parking.

“Parking is really the issue on campus, which is why I use public 

transportation,” Host said. 

“This would make it a little easier to get places.”

Metro Transit also 

partners with Twin Cities ride sharing service, 

Car2Go , Mehl said.

He said he hopes the new partnership will make transportation more 

accessible to residents.

“You already have the card in your wallet, so it’s ready to go wherever,” Mehl said.