With Halloween weekend becoming increasingly known for its drunkenness, University of Wisconsin nighttime service SAFE is taking extra measures to make sure students get home OK.
Jacob Hahn, SAFE nighttime services coordinator, said SAFEbus routes 81 and 82 have to be rerouted Saturday Oct. 28 since they travel on State Street. Hahn added Langdon Street will be closed to bus service Saturday night, and at the discretion of the Madison Police Department could possibly be blocked from traffic Friday as well.
"Langdon Street will be open to traffic Friday night, but police said they are not going to hesitate to close it down," he said.
If the MPD feels a need to shut down Langdon on Friday, Hahn added, the bus routes will switch to the Saturday night alternate routes immediately.
Though both SAFEride and SAFEwalk will be operating on normal hours both nights, Hahn said additional staff will be on hand to assist as many students as possible. The SAFEride service operates from 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. and SAFEwalk is available from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m., and Hahn estimated SAFE will be able to take a call about every two minutes.
"I can't reiterate enough that students plan ahead and execute safe decision making — all three programs are here for all students to use," he added. "But keep in mind, if you are with a group of friends, you do have money and you have alternate ways of getting home that are still safe, try not to take a SAFEride cab and keep the lines open for people who really need the service."
However, according to Hahn, there will be changes in the way SAFEride will run on State Street and in the surrounding area Halloween weekend. He said anyone who calls for SAFEride from the downtown area where streets are blocked to traffic must pick up the cab in designated "taxi stand areas."
The four "taxi stands" will be in front of the Memorial Union on Langdon Street, Riley's Liquor on West Gorham Street, Ian's Pizza on Frances Street and in front of the Madison Area Technical College building on West Johnson Street. SAFEwalk personnel will be more readily available for those who need an escort to the stands, Hahn said.
"We tried to select locations for taxi stands that are pretty well-lit and would have people around," he added. "We can also take people out to parties and bars or home from them with SAFEwalk."
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said that because the weekend has potential for increased assaults and muggings, the nighttime services SAFE offers will be an incredible asset to Halloween. Even though the police force in the area will be highly responsive, he said the atmosphere of the event contributes to a greater possibility of criminal activity.
Verveer also said Halloween weekend tends to bring a lot more crime to the city and campus area, but no serious incidents in the past few years have been reported.
"Folks feel more at liberty to act out when they are concealed by a costume," Verveer added. "The levels of intoxication and the fact most people will be concealed by costumes really contributes to the potential for more harm."
