ASG Program Offers Students a Safe Ride Home

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Students who find themselves in an uncomfortable or inconvenient situation have a safer alternative through Safe Ride.

Safe Ride operates a fixed route program on campus, called Safe Ride Campus, Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Safe Ride City operates for students Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. The service area of Safe Ride is within the Fayetteville city limits. Only University of Arkansas students will be transported. Students will be taken from any place in the Fayetteville city limits to their residence listed on their ISIS accounts.

“In recent years, Safe Ride has expanded its services to students. In 2012, Safe Ride established a new office and dispatch center, which has allowed us to meet the consistently increased demand for service. Safe Ride is a program defined by students helping students, as most members of Safe Ride staff are students themselves. It is a pleasure to be a part of a program that does so much to serve students and the community as a whole,” said Will Groom, Safe Ride Manager, Transit & Parking Department.

Safe Ride is not just for situations involving alcohol. Safe Ride can be used for any uncomfortable or inconvenient situation, such as an uncomfortable date, keys locked in car, stranded at an undesirable location, car trouble, fatigue, a sober ride home, or a number of other situations. But, Safe Ride should not be used as a student’s sole option for safe transportation, rather it should be considered a last resort when other options have fallen through that evening.

“Last year alone, Safe Ride gave 9,220 trips to 15,000 students,” said Daniel McFarland, ASG president and the Safe Ride Committee co-chairman. “Students utilize the program, but we also want them to make responsible choices and know that Safe Ride is an available resource for them.”

Students can access Safe Ride by calling 479-575-SAFE (7233). Students with special needs or who require a lift-equipped vehicle should notify the dispatcher at the time of request.

Students must present a student ID and can only have one guest ride with them. Safe Ride will only transport students to their address as listed in ISIS.

Full policies and procedures are available at https://asg.uark.edu/programs-initiatives/safe-ride/. For more information contact Associated Student Government at 479-575-5205.

Safe Ride is a service of the University of Arkansas that is funded and supported by the Associated Student Government via the Student Activity fee and operated by the UA Transit & Parking Department with foundational oversight from the Safe Ride Committee.