USC will debut a late-night shuttle on Jan. 23, 2025, to help students travel safely at night.
Shuttles will be available for students to ride, with the goal being for a shuttle to arrive at a stop every 10 minutes, said Student Body President Patton Byars.
There will be stops on and off campus, with shuttles running on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.
The on-campus stops are confirmed, however, the off-campus stops are still in development. There will be stops at Capstone House, the Horseshoe, Solomon Blatt Physical Education Center and right outside of 650 Lincoln, Byars said.
"We're working with the various police departments in the area, like USCPD, Columbia and Richland, just doing a safety assessment, risk assessment of the areas that we want to have stops," Byars said. "This is to ensure that stops have good lighting, that it's easily accessible for a cop to come and to stop, put their car there, to make sure that everything's going well — because last thing we want to do is to drop passengers off an area that's not safe."
During a student senate session on Oct. 30, Student Body Treasurer Reese Lycan said Byars worked with Director of Parking and Transportation Services Brian Favela on the after-hours shuttle.
It took around a month to determine if it was possible to create a late-night shuttle. His had to reason if they had the available funding and resources to carry out the initiative. While not being able to execute the initiative during fall 2024 due to logistical issues, it is now possible for the spring 2025 semester, Favela said.
Favela said the off-campus stops will be in the general areas of the Vista and Five Points. Riders must have a CarolinaCard to board, however, students are allowed to bring a plus one.
"A lot of people have family staying and friends staying with them, so we want to make sure that they also get back safe," Byars said. "You're going to still Uber if you're with your friend who might not go to USC. If they can't get on the bus, you're there, then, therefore, you're just going to Uber home."
Favela said the program will debut with four to six shuttles, which will be able to hold 20-40 passengers each.
"We think there's going to be a huge demand at the beginning, and then if not, we're able to peel back," Favela said. It's easier to peel back than to add because of staffing and resources. We're starting big- and then we will assess the ridership each night and determine if we need to continue with that size of shuttles."
Byars said the idea of an after-hours shuttle has been in discussion for the past 20 years but was never implemented.
"What I noticed is, we usually bring (the idea) back in the past after a tragedy. I didn't want to wait till after a tragedy to do something that could hopefully stop a tragedy from happening," Byars said.
Byars said the last time the plan to implement this initiative failed because of COVID-19.
"I wanted to bring the idea back because it was working. Students wanted it. Students are every excited about it," Byars said.
There are other ways to get students home with options such as Uber. However, affordability can be a challenge, Byars said.
"Yesterday, I was in Five Points and it cost me $40 to Uber home even though my destination was a mile away," Byars said. "We can't get everyone home because everyone lives in different areas- but students who live near or in the vicinity of campus, we can make sure that they get as close as possible to their home."
In the coming weeks, Student Government will post a video on their social media page asking students to help them name the bus. Whoever chooses the name will get a free parking pass for the next year. Details about how students can submit potential names are forthcoming, Byars said.
"As of now, we're calling it the "late night shuttle" as a temporary name until we come up with the full name- and then that full name will be announced before the bus shuttle runs," Byars said.
Favela said that letting students name the shuttle began as an idea that members of Student Government were tossing around during a meeting. He said the group came together and decided to let students name it to create a buzz amongst the student body.
Favela said the new shuttle will create a safer options for students.
In the past, there have been some tragedies connected with fake ride share drivers at USC. The case of Samantha Josephson, a former USC student who was abducted and murdered after mistakenly entering the wrong vehicle while waiting for her Uber, has a lasting impact on campus and all around the nation.
"This is a good thing for the students, and that's what we're most proud about," Favela said. "Since my arrival, I've been very vocal about being student-centered, and I think this is just a great way to voice that."