Frequently Asked Questions

CU NightRide has a mobile application that makes it easier than ever to request a ride. Riders can easily request the next available pick-up. Once the ride is scheduled, riders can track their vehicle’s location in real time. The CU NightRide app is free to download, but requesting a ride is available only to current CU Boulder students, faculty and staff.

1. Download the CU NightRide app from the Apple App Store or Google Play
2. Select “Log In with CU”
3. Enter your IdentiKey and password and tap “Login”
4. Enter your phone number and tap “Confirm”
5. Request your ride!

Unfortunately the app is not perfect! However, in these situations we encourage you to call our office at 303-492-7233 to speak with our dispatcher who can either assist you with a request that was made through the app or put in a new request for you. We do encourage feedback as it assists us with the app developers. Also, if you experience errors with the app, please take a screenshot of the issue and email it to cunightride@colorado.edu with a brief explanation.

 Yes! CU NightRide strives to provide a free and safe ride for all riders regardless of the activities they partake in at night. However, we do have policies in place which require us to engage with CUPD if a rider is displaying signs which may require emergency assistance.

Yes, a CU NightRide dispatcher is available to speak with you during operating hours. Call 303-492-SAFE (7233) to be connected with the next available dispatcher.

Yes! Dispatchers are available during operating hours to assist you with requesting a ride over the phone. Just call 303-492-SAFE (7233) to be connected with the next available dispatcher. Our dispatcher will also notify you when your driver is near.

Yes! CU NightRide has the ability to pick you up or drop you off at your address or the closest predetermined location. You can also use your phone’s geolocation to drop a pin on the map screen within the CU NightRide app.

No, not not at this time. You can only request rides on demand during our service hours.

No. Each rider should place an individual request for pick up or drop off in a different location.

Yes, you can call our dispatcher at 303-492-SAFE (7233) to change your pickup/dropoff location.

Yes! CU NightRide has an ADA vehicle which can assist those who utilize wheelchairs. If you are in need of an ADA vehicle, please select the applicable accessibility requirements when requesting a ride in the CU NightRide app, or contact our dispatcher at 303-492-7233.

There could be a variety of reasons why wait times are longer than what you might expect. Some examples include

• The number of vehicles we have active for the evening. We strive to have our full fleet of vehicles active each night; however, there are times when a vehicle may not be operable due to a scheduled repair or another reason that is outside of the program’s control.
• Staffing and schedule changes.
• There could be an issue in operations that takes a vehicle offline for a certain amount of time or for the rest of the evening.
• We like to ensure that our staff take their scheduled breaks during a shift in order for them to use the bathroom, get something to eat/drink, etc. These breaks will take a vehicle out of service until the staff member returns.
• Thursday–Saturday are generally our busiest days of the week. Some weekends, such as Halloween, are even busier than normal.
• Weather can also impact wait times as driving conditions may cause our drivers to operate much more cautiously. In snow and ice, we drive slowly and carefully in order to keep riders safe! In addition, as temperatures drop, we will usually see a rise in requests.

Service will operate on our published schedule unless conditions make transportation unsafe. If a closure is needed, a message will be displayed on the CU NightRide app and those who called in a ride request will be notified by our dispatcher. We will also publish posts on the UMC Facebook and Twitter pages, and add a service announcement to our webpage.

CU NightRide will not be in service for university holidays/closures, winter break, fall break or spring break. The program does operate over summer break but with a limited number of staff, vehicles and hours.

At times, CU NightRide will pause the acceptance of new requests in order to meet the current demand. This will usually be for a short amount of time and an announcement message will notify new riders to check back in at an “x” amount of time (e.g. 30 min., 45 min., 60 min.). These instances usually happen on very busy nights such as athletic games, large-scale events on campus, Halloween weekend, etc. Additionally, toward the end of the night, we will stop accepting new rides before the close of service due to the staff being fully booked for the night. This ensures that our team can complete their last ride by the end of their shift.

We welcome your thoughts to improve your experience. Please call our office at 303-492-3230 to leave a message, or use the comment form in the right-hand column of our webpage.

Yes! When are recruiting new driver/dispatchers, you will find our application on the UMC Student Jobs page.

Our CU NightRide office can be found in the University Memorial Center (UMC) on the second floor near the reception desk. If you wish to talk with someone outside of our service hours please email cunightride@colorado.edu and a staff member will respond to you.

If you believe you have misplaced an item and it could be in one of our vehicles, please call our office at 303-492-7233 during service hours and talk with our dispatcher. CU NightRide cars cannot suspend service to return lost items, however, our dispatcher will alert the driver to search the car before service is completed in the evening. We will be sure to let you know if any items were found and where to get them.