From changes to campus bus routes to City Council’s recent decision to allow cabs to pick up passengers on the 500 block of State Street between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., the new semester has brought with it a multitude of changes to the way the campus community gets from point A to point B this semester.
Specifically, the discontinuation of the SAFEcab service over the summer and current efforts to reinstate it has moved to the forefront. The Badger Herald provides a breakdown of what led up to the current discussion and what action is being taken to potentially reinstate the service.
SAFEcab cut over summer
Over the summer, the SAFEcab service was discontinued. SAFEcab was provided for through the university, which was funded partly by UW Transportation Services and partly through segregated fees.
The service provided for six free cab rides within a specific zone on and around campus to each student over the course of the year. Last April, Associated Students of Madison’s Student Services Finance Committee initially voted to eliminate the service, citing administrative concerns.
After representatives received feedback, the body decided to reinstate funding for the service about a week later. In a letter to SSFC, UW Transportation Services Director Patrick Kass told committee members that despite SSFC’s reinstatement, it would no longer be managing the service after June 30 – which was followed through upon.
This means all students still paid for the service this year through segregated fees since SSFC budgeted for it, and the money is currently not being used.
ASM, city alderman working on reinstating service or alternative
Now, both ASM and Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, are working on ways to reinstate an improved service or an alternative. Last week, Resnick told The Badger Herald he is working on a proposal for a rapid taxi service as an alternative, which would run between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. and cost a flat fee of $5 per ride inside a designated zone.
On Tuesday night, members of ASM’s Campus Safety Campaign decided it will hold a Town Hall meeting regarding SAFEcab sometime in the next two weeks, ASM spokesperson David Gardner said.
He said stakeholders like cab companies, students, UW Transportation Services and city officials will all be invited to voice their concerns and ideas for how to move forward with an improved SAFEcab service.
Gardner said many students and members of the campus community have raised concerns about the service being cut, and that ASM wants to work with the city and UW Transportation Services to bring back a cab service with campus safety in mind.
“Transportation is definitely something students are worried about, and we want them to know that we’re addressing it,” Gardner said.
In an email to The Badger Herald, Legislative Affairs Chair Dan Statter said SAFEcab provided a valuable service and that there should be ways for students to travel safely to on or off-campus destinations.
Statter said in communicating with city and university leaders, ASM will be looking for ways to ensure safe transportation services are available.
“We will be looking for the best way to do this, taking into consideration city proposals and university discussions. Alder Resnick’s idea would address the problem and I think it is something that we can discuss,” he said.
Gardner also said there is some speculation as to how exactly SAFEcab was discontinued as there were multiple factors involved, but that ASM is interested in moving forward and advocating for students rather than dwelling on the past and pointing fingers.
