Making the rounds with NightRide
Students get on the NightRide shuttle at the IMA. Misty Shock Rule/University of Washington
On a cold night in November, UW student Tariq Baerzae and two friends stand outside the Intramural Activities Building (IMA). They are waiting for NightRide, UW’s night shuttle servicing main campus and nearby neighborhoods.
“I’m tired because we just hit the gym,” he said. They’re on their way to the Ave to get some dinner, and the IMA is up a hill and across campus. “Don’t want to walk all the way back. It’s dark and it’s easy to get on.”
NightRide, which is free for students, faculty and staff with a Husky Card, runs Monday through Friday during the school year from 8 p.m. to just after 1:30 a.m., with extended hours before finals.
Baerzae and his friends get off at Meany Hall, but they could have been dropped off on the Ave if they wanted to.
NightRide is different than other shuttles. You can board it at any designated stop, each of which the shuttle serves every 20 minutes. After it makes its final stop, you can get a ride to any neighborhood location of your choosing, within the service boundaries.
The person who gets on next after Baerzae takes advantage of this dropoff service, requesting a stop at his apartment at NE 42nd St. and 7th Ave. NE.
To get a custom dropoff, you need to pay attention to which NightRide shuttle you are boarding. East Zone shuttles go as far as University Village, Blakely Village and Laurel Village. West Zone shuttles go to I-5.
You can track the location of NightRide through an app, on the web or through SMS updates. Maps, schedules, app information and more are all available on the NightRide website.
Driver Yen Matley likes to make NightRide a welcoming space: "If the students are comfortable enough to come up and talk, I love that very much." Misty Shock Rule
NightRide driver Yen Matley works for King County Metro during the day. Driving NightRide is more of a “fun job,” she said. “Seeing the students, I have hope for the future … I love it.”
One thing that makes driving NightRide different than Metro is that the shuttle serves only the UW community. “The driver has a lot [of leeway] to help ensure the safety of the riders and protect themselves,” she said.
Students say that safety is an important reason to take NightRide.
“It makes me feel better having NightRide as an option to get home safe at night,” said UW student Jayce Blanchard. He often leaves his friends’ apartments as late as 11 p.m. and is concerned when he hears reports of crime in the neighborhood.
Blanchard is chair of the Universal Student U-PASS Advisory Board, the student-run advisory board that has oversight over U-PASS and, as a result, NightRide as well. U-PASS fees pay for the shuttle.
NightRide has its origins in the the start of the U-PASS program in 1991. It was a concession to students to fill the gap in Metro’s nighttime service, said Teresa Seyfried, an assistant director with UW Facilities who managed shuttles at the time.
Thirty-four years on, it’s still an important campus safety initiative.
"The NightRide shuttle is a great option for students, faculty and staff who may feel a little nervous about walking home alone in the dark or the rain,” said UW Campus Community Safety Vice President Sally Clark.
Students Riya Dharawal and Anu Nagarajan (front row) and Anshu Aggarwal (back row) are regular users of NightRide. Misty Shock Rule
After the dropoff near I-5, NightRide makes its way back to the IMA, where three first-year students get on. Anshu Aggarwal, Riya Dharawal and Anu Nagarajan take a dance class at the IMA three or four nights a week, so they are regular NightRide riders.
“[We use NightRide] because we're lazy and it's cold and dark and a lot safer, especially when we're alone — like if one of them missed practice then I'm walking alone," said Nagarajan.
"It would normally take 15 minutes. But with this it's like five so it's a lot quicker," said Aggarwal.
The students said that they weren’t aware there was an app for the service, where you can track where the shuttle is at any given moment.
Lack of awareness about NightRide and its features is a concern, said Blanchard.
“Honestly, I don't hear enough about NightRide [from other students],” he said, adding that the U-PASS Advisory Board is focusing on outreach.
Last year, NightRide got a new wrap featuring UW colors and Dubs, the UW mascot. Misty Shock Rule
After the students get off at the Communications Building, NightRide makes its last stop at the flagpole on Memorial Way. Normally, the shuttle would then go to requested custom dropoff locations, before starting the route up again.
This time, because no one is on the shuttle, Matley has time to show off NightRide’s new look.
Before August 2024, the shuttle was just a white, unmarked van. The new wrap, featuring Dubs and UW colors, helps publicize the service and make people feel more confident they are getting into the right vehicle, said Blanchard.
The U-PASS Advisory Board advocated for the shuttle’s new look and has worked with UW Transportation Services staff on other marketing and outreach items, including sandwich boards and signage for stops. They also set up a user survey, available at a QR code on the shuttle, where riders can give feedback and make suggestions.
Overall, NightRide is important for nighttime safety and convenience, as a cold evening in November showed.
And for some people, like Matley, it’s also a place to find and offer community.
“If the students are comfortable enough to come up and talk, I love that very much,” she said. “You learn where they come from, and you can share with them a little bit. It's important to help make people feel at home."
