CU NightRide expands fleet

CU Night Ride is expanding their fleet of cars as the nights become colder. (CU Independent illustration/Molly Maher)

With the new purchase of a Toyota Camry hybrid, CU NightRide is taking new steps to better fulfill the increase in student demands.

David Perez, the director of NightRide, said the addition to the now six-car fleet could not have come at a better time.

“Our busiest times are during the coldest part of the year,” Perez said.

Last spring the UCSU finance board gave the popular program $34,544 to buy two cars, according to Kristi Graham-Gitkind, the assistant director for administration and marketing at CU.

UCSU said that they saw the program’s positive impact on campus safety and decided to give it additional funding.

“[NightRide] is a valuable service to students and…also faculty and staff…to get home safe,” said Jason Gonzales, UCSU director of media relations.

With the money remaining after the $25,000 Camry purchase, NightRide is looking to buy a small SUV effective in the snow, Graham-Gitkind said. The program hoped to purchase one sooner, but the dealers did not have the car in stock, Perez said. Now NightRide must wait until the new state-approved purchasing list comes out later this month before making their next purchase.

Volunteer Clearing House established the CU NightRide program in 1985 to provide students and staff a safe, late night transportation choice.

“It gives them an option if they need it, if they want it they know we are there as a backup,” Perez said. “There are a lot of people that might not use us on a daily basis, but knowing that we are there gives [students] a sense of security.”

Just last week NightRide averaged 70 rides per night and served nearly 700 students during the last weekend of September alone, Perez said. After Oct. 4, the program had already served 5,400 students this semester.

With the new additions, Perez said CU NightRide hopes to better serve the campus community.

At the end of the year, the program’s efficiency will determine if it needs to continue to its expansion.

“For now adding another vehicle depends how this year pans out, if we are still under capacity…we need to accommodate more, if we are running at capacity, we don’t need to expand if we are meeting our demands,” Perez said. “Ideally, if there is more demand than supply then we will add another vehicle.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.