VandyRide, Vanderbilt University’s shuttle service, is intended to provide students with a reliable and safe way to navigate campus and nearby areas. However, despite its good intentions and dedicated staff, issues with its app and limited staff are leaving students stranded — literally. It’s time for improvements.
The VandyRide app is meant to provide real-time tracking and clear route information, but for many students, it has become a source of confusion rather than clarity. The app is unable to track shuttles accurately. Trackers frequently malfunction, buses don’t appear on the routes they’re supposed to and the interface lacks user-friendly features like effective zooming or clear directional arrows.
Additionally, the app fails to communicate important updates, such as when a bus is on a break or out of service. Instead, students are left waiting in uncertainty, often resorting to trial and error to figure out which bus — gold or black — they should board.
First-year Blair student, Ayla Richards, explained how she waits at the stop without using the app due to this confusion.
“I don’t even check the app anymore because it’s useless. It never shows accurate results anyway,” Richards said.
Beyond the app’s shortcomings, staffing issues compound the frustrations for students relying on VandyRide. While the drivers themselves receive praise for their friendliness and excellent taste in music, the service often feels stretched too thin to meet demand. First-year student Claire Lee highlights the pressing need for improved transportation options on campus.
“It’s not reliable, but it’s better than walking in the dark,” Lee said.
While running buses 24/7 may be unrealistic, the early sunsets during winter months, when darkness falls as early as 5 p.m., underscore the necessity for extended service hours. Unfortunately, staffing shortages often result in delays and longer wait times, leaving students stranded in the cold darkness for extended periods.
While these issues may seem daunting, there are steps Vanderbilt could take to improve the VandyRide experience for all students. First, the app must be upgraded to align real-time tracking with actual bus locations. This change would reduce confusion and allow students to better plan their trips. Features should be added to mark buses as “on break” or “out of service,” and the interface should be redesigned with clearer zoom capabilities and directional arrows. Clear labels for buses (gold or black) and straightforward route descriptions would also make the app far more functional.
Additionally, addressing the major staffing concerns is crucial. First-year student Nicholas Lozano commented on a potential staffing solution.
“If they had more people on shift, they could offer the service for more hours throughout the day,” Lozano said.
To achieve this additional staffing, Vanderbilt should prioritize hiring additional drivers by offering competitive pay and benefits, which would help ease the workload on existing staff. Partnering with local transportation agencies during high-demand periods could also provide a temporary solution to alleviate staffing shortages while maintaining reliable service.
Finally, winter schedules need to be adjusted to reflect the seasonal realities of shorter days. Extending operating hours during the darker months, with service running from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., would better ensure student safety in the early evenings. Introducing a limited fleet for overnight operations could also serve students with late-night transportation needs.
I remember one particularly chilly evening last semester after a late-night rehearsal at Blair. Exhausted, I opened the app and found no updates on where the buses were or how long I’d be waiting. I debated walking back to my dorm, but the thought of navigating campus in the cold, dark night didn’t feel safe. As the minutes stretched into nearly half an hour, I found myself wishing for something better — a system that wouldn’t leave students like me stranded at odd hours, unsure of whether help was even on the way.
The red zone, the period from the start of the fall semester to Thanksgiving when sexual assaults spike on college campuses, is a critical time for universities to prioritize student safety. Vanderbilt addresses this concern during orientation by highlighting resources like VandyRide and emphasizing vigilance, but these efforts can feel performative. VandyRide’s flaws — unpredictable wait times, limited availability and operational gaps — leave students vulnerable, especially first-years unfamiliar with campus, undermining the university’s safety messaging during this high-risk period.
The failure to address transportation as a key safety measure undermines Vanderbilt’s stated priorities during the red zone. While education about safety is important, it must be accompanied by tangible, reliable resources. A commitment to student safety must extend beyond awareness campaigns and include structural investments like an efficient and accessible transportation system. Without this commitment, students are left to navigate the red zone with fewer safeguards than they were promised.
Countless students have experienced the frustration of indefinitely waiting for VandyRide, a service that should be a lifeline for safe campus travel. To meet student needs, Vanderbilt must invest in technology upgrades, increase staffing and adjust schedules to match campus demand. While VandyRide has the potential to be an invaluable resource, its current shortcomings force many students to navigate unsafe conditions alone, undermining its promise of safety.
For many students, VandyRide is more than just a shuttle service — it’s a lifeline, ensuring we can safely traverse campus late at night. By investing in technology upgrades, increasing staffing and adapting schedules to the seasonal demands of campus life, Vanderbilt can ensure VandyRide becomes a reliable, student-focused service that we can trust. Until then, students will continue to navigate these challenges with frustration and, more often than not, with little choice but to take a deep breath, bundle up and walk their own way home.
