Case Study: NU Safe Ride achieves 65% ridership growth and safer late-night campus travel with Via

Late-night service to transport students safely around a University campus

NU Safe Ride, Northwestern University’s late-night student transport program, faced staffing shortages and rising difficulty running a student-operated service while trying to keep students safe across campus. To boost availability and reduce wait times and cancellations, NU Safe Ride partnered with Via to launch a dedicated NU Safe Ride app and an on-demand, dynamic in‑campus shuttle service.

Via implemented a solution with a dedicated NU Safe Ride app, an increased vehicle fleet, and more available drivers operating evenings across campus. The partnership delivered measurable results: 65% increase in ridership the first year, 38% more driver hours, a 15% drop in canceled rides, a 43% decrease in ride-per-cost, and an average rider rating of 4.9/5 — a service Via and Northwestern say has “exceeded expectations.”

NU Safe Ride

Jim Roberts

Sr. Executive Director, Division Services