Brown's transportation department - which includes the campus shuttle service safeRIDE - is in the process of planning an expansion of its services. Recent developments include the purchase of an additional vehicle for onCall, a transportation dispatch service and the South Main Street Shuttle, which serves people working in the public health program's downtown facilities.
No short-term plans for safeRIDE shuttle expansion currently exist because the University expects students and others to take advantage of Brown's participation in a service providing free rides on RIPTA, said Elizabeth Gentry, director of business and financial services, who oversees several departments, including transportation.
Ridership on safeRIDE has increased every year since the service began in 2003, Gentry said. Gentry began overseeing the transportation department in the spring, and she said she wants to find ways to alleviate parking congestion and be environmentally friendly by reducing the number of cars on campus. "Finding ways to make that happen is in the University and community's best interests," Gentry said.
Students interviewed by The Herald said they were generally satisfied with safeRIDE, though they had some suggestions for the service's improvement.
"Larger vehicles would definitely be better," said Quinn Savit '11.
Currently, the safeRIDE shuttle operates on a one-way loop down Thayer Street. According to Transportation Manager Carleia Lighty, the route was planned with consideration to safety, utility and traffic. The transportation department is planning on keeping the route as it is, Lighty said.
