For Service Call: 217.384.8188
SafeRides Connect is available on the following dates and times during the University of Illinois Fall and Spring
Semester days. SafeRides operates during Fall, Winter, and Spring Breaks, but with reduced service.
| Dates | Service Times |
|---|---|
| August 23, 2024 - November 2, 2024 | 7:00PM - 6:30AM |
| November 3, 2024 - March 8, 2025 | 5:00PM - 6:30AM |
| March 9, 2025 - May 16, 2025 | 7:00PM - 6:30AM |
SafeRides Connect is available on the following dates and times during University of Illinois Fall, Winter, and Spring Breaks:
| Dates | Service Times |
|---|---|
| November 23, 2024 - November 30, 2024 | 5:00PM - 12:30AM |
| December 21, 2024 - January 18, 2025 | 5:00PM - 12:30AM |
| March 15, 2025 - March 22, 2025 | 7:00PM - 12:30AM |
There is no SafeRides Connect service on the following Sundays due to reduced service:
- November 24, 2024
- December 22, 2024
- December 29, 2024
- January 5, 2025
- January 12, 2025
- March 16, 2025
There is no SafeRides Connect service during the University of Illinois Summer Sessions I and II.
What it is:
The purpose of SafeRides Connect is to provide safe transportation to individuals who are generally traveling alone and when no other means of safe transportation are available within the designated SafeRides Connect boundaries. There is a maximum limit of three persons per pick-up location. SafeRides Connect does not duplicate fixed-route service already provided by MTD. SafeRides Connect does not provide emergency transportation services to medical facilities. SafeRides Connect does not provide service to and from bars.
How to use it:
This depends on where you are, where you want to go, what time it is, and how many of you there are. From Dusk (7:00PM/5:00PM) until 6:00AM you can use SafeRides Connect anywhere within the designated boundaries (see map on next page), provided there are three persons or less at the pick-up location and the trip cannot be completed directly on a fixed route.
Use the SafeRides Connect App. Download the SafeRides Connect App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and register yourself. Open the App, enter your origin, destination, number of people, and tap “Create Journey”. The App will determine if a fixed-route trip is appropriate and will provide an itinerary. If no fixed route is appropriate, a SafeRide Connect trip will be offered. Tap “Book Trip” to accept the ride. Then monitor the App for updated trip information.
You can also call 217.384.8188. Provide the dispatcher with the following information: your name (first and last), phone number, email address, pick-up location (street address/landmark), and destination. If your trip is within the SafeRides Connect boundaries, the dispatcher will enter the trip into the system and will give you the details of the trip.
Expect waiting times of 15 minutes during the week, and up to 30 minutes on the weekend when demand is higher. Upon boarding the SafeRides Connect van, the person who scheduled the trip will be required to display their valid pass or pay the appropriate fare to the SafeRides Connect operator. As a courtesy to other SafeRides Connect passengers, please be at the scheduled location when the operator arrives. Upon arriving at a pick-up location, the SafeRides Connect operator will only wait two minutes for passengers to board before continuing to the next scheduled pick-up/drop-off location. Requests for SafeRides Connect will be taken until 6:00AM for trips to be completed by 6:30AM.
If your pick-up and drop-off locations are both directly on any fixed route (example: residence hall to residence hall trips) and/or there are more than three persons traveling together, you will be required to use the fixed routes to complete your trip. A ride on MTD’s fixed-route service is also considered a safe ride.
SafeWalks escorts, student employees of the University Police Department, are available for short walking trips on campus. Call 217.333.1216 or contact the UI Police via emergency campus phone.