St. Patrick’s Day is here, and students will no doubt be looking for safe ways to get back home after their nighttime celebrations.
Many students use CU’s NightRide but complain that the service takes too much time to arrive and is not available late enough on weekends.
NightRide is a student-run program operated by the university that provides transportation to CU students, faculty and staff, according to its Web site.
Brittney Gruberger, a 20-year-old sophomore art history major, said she believes NightRide is an effective resource, but it should be available later.
“It is an effective resource,” Gruberger said. “However, [NightRide] needs more people working there because people have to find other sources to get home when they don’t pick up fast enough and don’t stay open late enough.”
In Gruberger’s experience, rides can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour. She also said that it takes her approximately 30 minutes to talk to the dispatcher. She said she thinks NightRide should stay open until 2:30 or 3:00 a.m.
Nimesh Kumar, 21, a freshman chemical engineering major, said he uses NightRide to get home after work.
“I use [Night Ride] on weekends to get home around 10 or 11 p.m.,” Kumar said. “It’s quick—takes within five to 10 minutes. However, I’ve called around 11:45 p.m.—no reply.”
Steven Bassett, a junior environmental design major said he also believes NightRide is a useful resource, but he has had difficulty getting through to the dispatcher.
“An online reservation system would be fantastic,” Bassett suggests.
Cammie Hensley, 20, a sophomore dance major, uses NightRide. She said she can always rely on a ride from the student-run service.
“[Night Ride] always comes on time for me, but I call ahead of time,” Hensley said. “I do think it would get more use if it was open later.”
David Perez, director of NightRide, said the service is popular among students.
“We serve 32,000 students per year,” Perez said. “For singles on the weekend, NightRide takes 22 minutes on average. Right now, we have five cars. We will have six cars next year so more students will be accommodated.”
Perez also said the program is paid for by student fees mostly, and partially from Student Affairs and Housing. He said NightRide has considered staying open later but has to think of the safety of their staff which often work up to nine hour shifts. To stay open later, Perez said NightRide would need more funding and an increased staff.
Stefanie Grubbs, 19, works for NightRide. She said the phone rings nonstop, but the staff answers as much as possible. Grubbs also said that the staff tries to arrive within 10 to 15 minutes on the weekends, though it sometimes takes longer.
She said NightRide is adding cars yearly.
“It’s just a process,” Grubbs said. “We are open late—I am still driving at 2 a.m. It is 3 before I get home. Everyone wants the last ride home. We work seven to eight hour shifts and give four to five rides an hour. It’s an effective resource: a good system, a good group of workers, a good program.”
Students can call 303-492-7233 to schedule a ride with NightRide.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Fruman at Sara.fruman@colorado.edu.
