Today, Zipcar Inc. announced that it will be expanding into Redmond part of its program with Equity Residential.

Zipcar, a car-sharing network, will place two vehicles at Equity’s Red 160 apartments at 16015 Cleveland St. in downtown Redmond. This will provide area residents with increased access to affordable and convenient transportation options.

“Car sharing is a great way to support those choosing to walk, bike or take the bus around town and encourage a more sustainable community,” said City of Redmond Mayor John Marchione. “We are pleased to welcome Zipcar to Redmond, and look forward to seeing the market for such innovative services grow.”

Carla Archambault, general manager for Zipcar Seattle, added, “Downtown Redmond is an extremely attractive market for car sharing. It currently has one of the strongest commuter programs in the nation, is known as the ‘bicycle capital of the Northwest’ and will serve to complement our successful car sharing programs in Seattle and nearby Bellevue. We are thrilled to introduce car sharing to the local community by placing cars at Red 160 and hope to grow the program over time to offer vehicles in additional spots downtown.”

As part of the launch of car sharing in Redmond, Zipcar will host a kickoff event on Wednesday at Red 160 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is open to all Red 160 residents as well as community members and will feature live music, food, beverages and special offers for new members who sign up for Zipcar.