Students waiting to use one one of the shuttle services offered by Parking and Transportation Services. | Donna Keeya/The Cougar
Students can ride around campus after hours thanks to a free shuttle service called Cougar Ride.
Cougar Ride was founded in October 2018 to provide assistance to students getting around campus late at night. This service will take students to more than 30 different locations including the M.D Anderson Library, Cougar Village and Moody Towers.
“I think it’s a great option for students that try to get around campus that don’t feel safe in the evening after class or studying,” said Andrei Madison Psychology Senior.
While Cougar Ride does not replace Security Officers in an emergency, it allows students to not have to get around campus alone.
“Security officers are still available to provide escorts if a student feels unsafe, but if they are just more comfortable with a ride rather then walking, Cougar Ride is their solution,” said Robert Browand, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
Because walking on campus at night has the potential to be dangerous Cougar Ride was founded to keep students safe.
“To enhance overall safety, the Division of Administration and Finance created a campus safety committee,” said Browand “The rationale behind the program was that providing rides to students after hours could free up UHPD to concentrate on other duties.”
Although the main concern is students and their safety across campus, Cougar Ride has limited hours, running from 9 p.m to 3 a.m everyday, and 6 p.m to 3 a.m during the summer and holidays.
However, even though it offers rides until 3 a.m, architecture freshman Elanor Murphy said that the Cougar Ride is not available late enough for her needs.
“Being here at the architecture building, we stay pretty late and it’s closed after 3,” Murphy said. “I wish they ran later, but I understand that not everyone needs to run around at 4 in the morning.”
Prior to the recent change in hours, Cougar Ride ran from 9 p.m to 5 a.m.
“I definitely used the app after 3 a.m due to staying at the architecture building” said industrial design sophomore Anne-Elizabeth Baker.
