Kernel Editorial Board

Anyone who has to driven through campus knows how much of a headache traffic can be. To make matters worse, parking can cause any person to have frustration nightmares of rushing to find a parking spot before their class or appointment.

It’s a relief, to say the least, that UK Parking and Transportation Services is taking steps to help alleviate this situation and also help students who find themselves stranded on campus, stuck without a car.

Thanks to UK Car Sharing Program, students and employees, 18 years of age or older, can now rent a car for a short period of time, allowing them to run those necessary errands or carpool with friends to wherever they call home for the weekend.

In traditional car-sharing programs, many students are eliminated from the opportunity because of age restrictions.

“As the systems grow and develop, a lot of universities and colleges involved have lowered the age limit to 18,” said Director of PTS Don Thornton in a March 22 Kernel article.

With 35 percent of freshman not having cars on campus, Thornton expects the program to be successful.

Also, with predesignated parking spots and a low rental fee, this program addresses the needs of students on this campus.

The cars are all Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay certified green vehicles. With Lexington being a city that leaves one of the largest carbon footprints in this nation, this is just one more way for UK to reduce carbon emissions.

Currently, the program has eight cars. With hopes of the UK Car Sharing Program being successful, students should take advantage of what PTS is offering them — a low-cost car rental with an all-inclusive fee.

As the program grows, hopefully they’ll expand to offering low-cost, long-term rentals for students who need to go a bit further from campus. Either way, PTS is making a step in the right direction by giving students and employees more options in their commute.