The introductory program is aimed at business and recreational travelers who use either rail or ferry service and need short-term, round-trip use of an automobile from the station to reach their final destinations.

Zipcar provides its members instant access to new cars on an hourly basis. The company has located a new 2004 Toyota Prius, the popular gas/electric hybrid that operates like a traditional gas-powered vehicle, at each of the three stations. The cars are available to members 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for as little as an hour or as long as several days at a time.

Rates are $10 per hour Monday - Thursday and $12 per hour Friday - Sunday plus 40 cents per mile with maximum daily rates. Members make reservations on-line in less than a minute and all usage and billing information is processed automatically by on-board computers and billed to the member via credit card. Members can also use any Zipcar in the system to include the greater New York, Boston and Washington D. C. metro areas. Insurance, maintenance, parking and gasoline are included in the hourly rates.

"This initiative provides and additional transportation option for rail and ferry customers that expands our station access efforts in Westchester County and the Bronx," said Metro-North President Peter A. Cannito.

The program has three major goals: To improve station access; to provide an innovative and environmentally friendly program that integrates self-serve cars into the more traditional public transportation grid, and to create a public/private effort that stimulates local economies.

Zipcar, which was founded in Cambridge, MA, in 2000, has more than 10,000 members and 250 locations in the metropolitan areas as well as northern New Jersey.

Studies conducted by the company have shown each Zipcar services 25 drivers and takes seven to 10 privately owned cars off the road.

For more information, log on to zipcar.com/metronorth.