It’s bar closing time on a Saturday night.
Female UI students gather eagerly inside the Panchero’s entrance, crowding behind windows to avoid the chilly air and watch for the Nite Ride bus to appear.
As the bus approaches, the women race outside to be the first 15 passengers aboard. If they are too late and labeled rider 16 or 17, they could face a long wait, or a cold, potentially dangerous walk home.
“I always try to make it on,” said UI junior Kelly Johnson. “If I don’t, the wait can be really long.”
Johnson, 21, takes Nite Ride to avoid a dark 20-minute walk home to Johnson Street from downtown. She said the service is a great idea, but her only complaint is the turnaround — which can last for up to 30 minutes on weekend night.
Nite Ride has much ground to cover, both on- and off-campus, creating a lengthy wait for passengers if a rider lives farther away, Johnson said.
Though the UI police leased a new vehicle for the service this year, many frequent riders wonder why the number of available seats did not expand — a convenience that could shorten the wait at the loading hub.
“It doesn’t make sense why they wouldn’t extend the passenger size,” said UI junior Elaine Ertz, who often uses the service after work. “If they are going to spend more money, why not seat more?”
Charles Green, the assistant vice president for the UI police, said increasing passenger capacity for Nite Ride would require drivers to acquire a Class C driver’s license, which would be a lot to ask of his drivers. To get that license, drivers must take a driving test, participate in a drive-along, and study for a written exam.
“I don’t know if all of our drivers could get a [commercial driver’s license],” Green said. “It’s an additional burden at this time.”
For now, UI police are not looking to expand Nite Ride, he said.
“Nite Ride is just a part of the safety program; girls need to consider other things to enhance their security as well,” he said.
To operate the safety service, the police lease the bus, as they do the rest of their vehicles, Green said. The department spends roughly $100 more leasing the new bus compared with the previous vans, which sat the same number of passengers as the new mini-bus.
Though the new bus doesn’t eliminate the wait problem, riders seem happy with the expanded space the new vehicle provides, said UI freshman Andy LaRocco.
“The new bus is definitely much nicer,” said the 18-year-old Mayflower resident, who takes the shuttle frequently on weekends. “You don’t have to crawl over people anymore.”
While roomy, numerous students recommended expanding the number of shuttles that operate on weekends to reduce the waiting time.
Katie Kluge, a UI sophomore, said she takes Nite Ride almost every time she goes downtown at night.
“I hear a lot of people complain about the wait,” she said. “Maybe if two or three shuttles went at once the wait wouldn’t be as bad.”
And while Nite Ride may be delayed at times, it’s worth waiting when gambling with safety issues, Kluge said.
“It’s the girls’ choice,” she said. “They can wait and get home safe, or they can walk home and take the risk.”