The Department of Public Safety took strong action last semester to improve the University’s SafeRides program—but local residents have sought to turn this into yet another needless conflict between the University and the neighborhood.
The new SafeRides shuttle program met with wide approval within the University when it was unveiled. In addition to the existing call-in pick-up service, two shuttles now drive in set loops around Burleith and West Georgetown, picking up students until 2:00 a.m. on Thursdays and 3:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The program represents a strong effort to reduce the well-publicized assaults and robberies that occur on streets many students travel frequently.
However, when the plan was presented to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission at the beginning of this month, the response was highly negative. Burleith and West Georgetown residents complained that they were not consulted while the expansion was being planned, and a University representative apologized to the group. The Burleith Citizens Association has stated that they will not support the expansion plan in its current form. The objections that have been raised, however range from the sensible to the absurd. Concern for students’ safety while waiting for the shuttles is touching, but misguided; the shuttles’ presence only increases student safety. Those who don’t feel safe while waiting can still call for a pick-up. Less credible are claims that idling vans waiting for students will waste gas, or that students can use the almost non-existent city buses.
The heart of the complaints seems to be the residents’ fear that the shuttles will provide a means for more students to party, drink, and disturb their neighborhoods. Like so many town-gown conflicts, the SafeRides debate is about the ANC seeking to curb student nightlife. While this goal may seem understandable from the residents’ point of view, it is easily trumped by concerns for student safety. While ceasing shuttle service will not stop students from spending nights in Burleith and West Georgetown, it will make life more dangerous for the many students who live in these neighborhoods.
The University and local residents have agreed to work together to involve the community in improving the SafeRides expansion. People who have lived in Georgetown for years likely have worthwhile insights to help improve student safety, and we applaud efforts to improve the current system. Trying to turn this into another occasion to lock horns with the university, however, helps no one.
