The origins of ASUA SafeRide can be traced to December 1978, when a nine-day pilot program was implemented to drive students around campus by bus. Although the program was costly and not heavily used during its short run, the university community agreed that an escort service of some form was necessary to protect students at night. For almost three years, different ideas were discussed and studied
. Lacking motorized vehicles, the Escort Service provided volunteers to walk students from any campus building to any location between Campbell, Speedway, Euclid, and 6th St. From 1982-1986, the escort service provided rides by car, thanks to a volunteered motor vehicle. By 1986, the Escort Service finally owned its first vehicle outright- a 1980 Toyota Corolla station wagon donated by Precision Toyota of Tucson. By fall of 1994, ASUA Escort Service was staffed by 30 volunteer students. The Escort Service was providing rides to about 50-75 students each night. A daytime cart service for disabled students was another aspect of the Escort Service. In 1997, the disability cart program was so popular that its demand could not be met. It was transferred to Parking and Transportation Services where it remains to this day. The ASUA Escort Service acquired a brand new minivan and electric-powered golf cart by the fall of 1995 to help with running the daytime and nighttime services. At this time, the Escort Service had three distinct components: the daytime disability cart service, SafeRide, and Safe Walk. SafeRide used golf carts, cars, and a van to transport students at night, while Safe Walk volunteers provided walking escorts to students traveling a short distance. Safe Walk volunteers also acted as campus watch dogs in high-risk areas, such as parking garages, the main library, and near sororities, when not escorting students around campus. In 2002 the Escort Service was aptly renamed ASUA SafeRide. By now, all SafeRide workers were paid student-employees and the program owned five vehicles. Today, SafeRide has a fleet of twelve vehicles: six sedans, four minivans, and two golf carts. As always, the main focus of SafeRide is to promote safety by providing a safe alternative to walking alone at night while providing an official presence on campus. We currently have an automated answering service and a staff of around 45 undergraduate student-employees. At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, SafeRide provided rides to an average of 500 passengers each night, with that number exceeding 700 on Thursdays. The all-time record, set on April 12, 2012, is 1,063 passengers. ASUA SafeRide operates on an annual budget from ASUA and the Student Fee. This budget is generously supplemented by the University administration and grants from the Parents and Family Association. By Brittany Smith (Administrative Director 2007-2009)
Sommer Long (Administrative Director 2009)
Want to request a ride? Just call (520) 621-SAFE (7233)
