The student-run organization was founded in 1992, but has struggled in recent years amid declining demand and challenges in recruiting volunteers.
Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley sent the following message to Elon students on Friday, Sept. 6.
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Elon’s Safe Rides student organization has decided to conclude its service to the university. The decision was made due to ongoing challenges for the student-run group that include declining demand for the service as ride-sharing companies have grown in popularity, and an ongoing struggle to recruit student leaders and volunteers who are integral to the operation of Safe Rides each week.
Safe Rides was founded in 1992 and helped create a safer community by providing late-night transportation for students within a one-mile radius of campus on the weekends. The program was part of Elon Volunteers!, advised by the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement, and received funding from the Student Government Association (SGA).
The leadership of Safe Rides has requested that the following message be shared with the campus community:
“While student safety has been the priority of Safe Rides over the past 26 years, it has become clear that SafeRides no longer has a sufficient volunteer and leadership base to continue operations. At the same time, over the past few years ridership has continued to decline steadily. As of September 5, 2019, Safe Rides will not run for the duration of the semester. During this time we will be working with SGA to devise an improved system for late-night transportation. While there are other forms of transportation (Uber and Lyft), we recognize they are neither free nor student-run. With this in mind we recommend students take extra safety measures including traveling in groups with a designated driver (if possible), staying aware of their surroundings and state of mind, and checking to make sure they are getting into the correct vehicle.”
The university has begun working with SGA to explore alternative solutions so students can continue to count on safe, late-night transportation on the weekends. As options are considered, the goal will be to include feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including students, to ensure there is an efficient and effective solution that focuses on student safety.
In the interim, the Elon community can continue to take advantage of the E-Rides program, which offers students one-way transportation from on-campus locations to off-campus residences and to and from on-campus locations (excluding bars) within a mile and a half radius of the Moseley Center. The service operates Monday-Thursday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Students can request rides by calling the Office of Campus Safety and Police at (336) 278-5555.
Campus Safety and Police will also provide a safety escort for students to and from on-campus locations from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Students may request a police escort by calling Campus Safety and Police at (336) 278-5555. Additionally, the LiveSafe app includes a SafeWalk option that provides students the opportunity to request a safety escort on campus. More information about the LiveSafe app is available here.