Having a car at Penn State has traditionally meant a fight for coveted parking spots and a battle with soaring gas prices, but that might not be the case forever.

Zipcar, a car-sharing organization started in 1999, rents cars by the hour and by the day, giving members the freedom of using a car without actually owning one. With the help of 21 mostly East Coast universities, Zipcar is extending its services to college campuses. But while there was some talk of expanding Zipcar to Happy Valley, the service has yet to reach Penn State.

Zipcar Business Development Director Adam Brophy said the service is ideal for big campuses such as University Park. Zipcar recently expanded to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has already enrolled hundreds of student members there. "University campuses act similar to major metropolitan areas, since there are too many cars with too little spaces," he said.

University students are offered a discounted membership rate of $25 a year. Members are then allowed to use Zipcar's services, with prices ranging from $5 to $8 an hour to rent a car.

Included in that price is money for fuel, insurance, parking and XM Radio. Fuel cards, which are included in each vehicle, are universally accepted and send the bill back to Zipcar.

Rentals can span up to a few days, but most cars are reserved for only a few hours at a time. While members must be 21 or older, the university can pay extra insurance to include drivers between 18 and 20.

"You can run to The Home Depot, you can run to the grocery store and only have to pay for two hours," Brophy added. "Students even use Zipcars for weekend trips, road trips or for transportation to and from internships."

Bruce Younkin, Penn State's manager of fleet operations, said there had been some talk of bringing Zipcar to campus a few years ago, and the idea was revisited last spring. However, he added that while the door was not closed on the idea, Zipcar did not fit into the university's transportation plan at that time.

"The tightness of student parking is, of course, a major issue," he said. "The idea of making more cars available on campus runs counter to the direction we're trying to go -- we're trying to advance mass transit and foster a pedestrian-friendly environment."

Still, Brophy said rising gas prices and Zipcar's convenience have led to increasing membership. As membership rises, congestion in parking lots on campus will lessen, he said. "One Zipcar takes 20 cars off the road," he said. "By adding Zipcars, students don't need to bring a car to campus."

Younkin said Penn State's transportation department had not investigated whether this program might reduce the need to bring personal cars to campus.

"We would have to see if there's a lot of student interest," he said.

Many students said Zipcar would fit in well at a big campus like Penn State and would provide a cheap alternative for students looking to save money.

"Transportation to and from State College can be pretty pricey," Melissa Torban (senior-elementary education) said. "It is also a good idea so students can get around town without relying on CATA all the time."

Kristin Whitehead (senior-recreation park and tour management) said that since she does not have a car, Zipcar would be helpful on weekends and even just for a few hours. "It is a pain to get a bus ticket, or even try to see friends who don't live in areas where there is a bus station available," Whitehead said.