Update: Safety Shuttle to permanently transport RC men

On Oct. 13, a new regulation permitted Richmond College men to use the on-campus Safety Shuttle.

This initiative is one of many responses to the aberrantly high number of on-campus assaults reported since the beginning of the semester, said University of Richmond Police Capt. Beth Simonds.

"As far as we know," Simonds said, "this is a permanent change. The [transportation] committee is also considering more on-campus transportation options."

Hossein Sadid, the vice president for business and finance, has worked very closely with the committee to evaluate the transportation needs of students, faculty and staff.

"The main objective of the committee is to develop a transportation strategy for the university, which will be responsive to the mobility needs of the campus," Sadid said.

The University of Richmond Safety Shuttle, which was previously an on-campus transportation service reserved exclusively for Westhampton College women, now transports both men and women to on-campus locations.

Collaborative efforts from the University of Richmond Police Department, Hossein Sadid, and the Richmond College Student Government Association resulted in this safety initiative.

The Richmond College Student Government Assocation has worked on the transportation initiative "for a while now," and has made this safety initiative one of its highest priorities, said Suren Daryanani, president of RCSGA.

"The recent security incidents highlighted the need for the expanded services," Sadid said. "We feel that the added services should provide a better security coverage for our students, men and women."

The Safety Shuttle's main function is to provide a safe and reliable means of transportation for Richmond students who are either alone or who feel uncomfortable walking around campus during the evening or early morning hours.

"There will certainly be changes to better respond to the transportation needs of the campus," Sadid said. "The addition of 2BNB [To the Bottom and Back] service to the campus is an example of an action which is included in the plan.

"We will be sharing more information with the entire campus in the near future as we finalize the pieces of the plan."

The Safety Shuttle will continue to transport students to on-campus locations as late as 3:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Contact staff writer Fred Shaia at fred.shaia@richmond.edu