By: Jade Rayner News Editor
Western provides a wide range of services to ensure the safety of its students. One of those services is WOLF Ride. WOLF ride is a “reliable shuttle service [for] students of Western Oregon University who would otherwise walk alone at night and risk their safety or possible assault,” as stated on Western’s Division of Student Affairs website. Whether you live on campus or off, you can use WOLF Ride to go grocery shopping, see a movie or to simply have a safe ride home.
Using WOLF Ride is completely free, and you can be picked up or dropped off almost anywhere in Monmouth and Independence. For a map detailing the areas in which you can be transported, go to wou.edu/student/wolf-ride. Service hours are Monday-Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. In order to receive a ride, you can call WOLF Ride at 503-428-7238, then request where you would like to be picked up and where you are going. All ride requests are taken on a first come, first served basis.
There will be days when this service is unavailable; all of which you can find on the website mentioned above. Upcoming days to watch out for are Nov. 23-27 due to Thanksgiving break.
On the other hand, special ride request forms are now available for students who need a ride to connect to other means of transportation in Salem. During finals week, Dec. 7-9, you can make a request to be driven to the bus station, Amtrak train station or the Salem airport which has a connecting shuttle to the PDX airport for a $10 fee. The forms must be completed and the fee must be paid by Dec. 1.
For students who would like a safer and faster form of transportation than walking, WOLF Ride is an efficient and free option. WOLF Ride is in no way a designated driver service; intoxicated students will be refused service.
If you are seeking more information, or have questions call the office of Vice President for Student Affairs at 503-838-8221. Do not contact this number for ride requests.
Contact the author at jrayner14@wou.edu
