Trial in Boston to allow ZipCar and Enterprise to use city parking spaces
The city of Boston is due to begin a trial programme which will allow vehicles registered with ZipCar and Enterprise Car Share to utilise city parking lots and road-side parking spaces for the next 18 months. At the end of that time the spaces could be rebid or the city could renew the contract for two years. The companies will pay $3,500 per car annually to use downtown spaces and $2,700 for each space outside of the city centre.
The Boston Transportation Department began installing the car-sharing services’ vehicles this week, starting with dedicated spaces at the Ruggles Street lot in Dudley Square, and will continue through the fall. Forty-eight of these spaces will be at city-owned lots, while the remaining 32 will be along city streets. The spaces are mapped out on the city’s new DriveBoston website.

When the time period ends, according to the Walsh administration, the spaces could be rebid or the city could renew the contract for as many as two 12-month extensions.

The ZipCar and Enterprise vehicles that are rolling into 80 municipal lot and street spaces in Boston will be parked at those designated spaces for at least 18 months.

Zipcar, a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, and rival Enterprise Holdings were the only two bidders for the spaces after the city put as many as 80 up for bid earlier this year. The transportation department told the companies in May that they would each get 40 spaces, and has since resolved conflicts between the two companies' requests. In some places, such as the Dudley lot, Zipcar and Enterprise will have cars in the same lot.

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The companies will pay $3,500 per car annually to use downtown spaces and $2,700 for each space outside of the city center. Each of the companies has eight spaces in the downtown area.

The Boston Transportation Department is still reviewing a separate proposal from Zipcar that would net the company as many as 150 "free-floating" permits. These permits would allow drivers to park on any residential streets or at parking meters and not worry about getting a ticket. Zipcar would pay $3,500 per car, or $525,000 a year for all 150.

Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonchesto.