You may have heard in the media lately about UBC’s Safewalk Program for students on campus.  It’s a free service from the Alma Mater Society of UBC, which provides an escort for students who are walking to any point on campus after dark. Arrangements can be made by phone.

We know that lots of people rely on transit to get to and from campus, so CMBC and TransLink have a few things on the go to support the Safewalk Program.

Several of our bus routes headed out to UBC have added reminders to some of the regular UBC stop announcements that let people know they can call Safewalk for an escort. Bus operators are also distributing Rider Alerts to passengers bound for UBC after dark.

TransLink’s Twitter team is tweeting out Safewalk’s message recommending people on campus avoid walking alone after dark, and encouraging students to call Safewalk for an escort.

All customers riding buses between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. (anywhere in the transit system, not just UBC) can also make use of TransLink’s Request A Stop program.

If you feel safer getting off the bus at a point between two regular bus stops during these hours, you can “Request a Stop”.

At the bus operator’s discretion, you will be let off if it is safe to do so. Requesting a stop can allow you to get to your destination sooner, and minimize the amount of time you spend walking alone after dark!

However, passengers can’t request a stop on express and limited stop sections of a route.

If you’re bound for UBC on one of our buses after dark, we hope you’ll take advantage of Safewalk – it’s a great service to help you feel safe and comfortable while getting where you need to go on campus.

Author: Angela Chang