Safer Nights, Together: WalkSafe Returns for Fall

You don’t have to walk alone at night (again)! After a successful first pilot this spring, WalkSafe has re-launched its pilot for the fall term. 

Why Students Need WalkSafe 

When we surveyed students in 2024, 16% said they feel unsafe at night, in comparison to 1% during the day, with larger numbers of racialized, gender-diverse, disabled, and international students feeling unsafe. Everyone deserves to feel safe on our campus, so last spring we launched the first WalkSafe pilot, a free, peer-based walking support service run by trained student volunteers. Based on a community-driven model of safety, it aims to offer a simple way for students to feel safer and more connected during evening hours, addressing a real gap in services identified by students. 

How It Works 

Monday to Friday, between 7:00PM to 10:00PM, request a walk using a quick online form. A trained volunteer will meet you at the agreed location and walk you to your campus destination. Afterward, you’ll be invited to share your feedback to help shape future improvements. 

The program is free and open to all UW undergraduate students, with a focus on walks across main campus, including to and from libraries, classrooms, and the campus transit hub. Main Campus includes everything between Westmount Road North, Columbia Street West, Phillip Street, and University Avenue West, plus our Athletic Centre north of Columbia, Claudette Miller Hall Residence south of University Ave, and all official University of Waterloo parking lots. See a map of the UW Main Campus here. 

Why We’re Bringing It Back 

Many students, especially those commuting, studying late, or participating in evening events, have shared concerns about walking on or near campus after dark, and that hasn’t changed. Our first pilot also showed clear interest in a peer-led service focused on nighttime safety, with 100% of surveyed users saying they’d use WalkSafe again and 70% saying it reduced their stress and improved their campus experience. 

Thanks to user feedback, WalkSafe was able to make improvements for the fall term, including a streamlined booking form, clearer campus boundaries, and improved volunteer visibility, such as lanyards. We’ve also been working on stronger coordination with Off-Campus Housing and other partners to support students navigating to evening transit. 

The Future of Campus Safety 

WalkSafe is one piece of the puzzle on improving student life at UWaterloo. One of the advocacy priorities in our Long-Range Plan is Mental Health and Wellness, and WalkSafe is part of our goal to meet this priority by advancing student safety, mental health, and inclusion. By feeling safe on campus, students are more easily able to connect to community and resources, contributing to improved mental wellbeing. 

Further, it addresses feedback from the Student Safety Position Statement, which embraces a holistic definition of safety, and contributes to Red Zone awareness. 

Walk With Us This Fall 

We’re so excited for WalkSafe to be back and continue to help students engage in community and feel safe on campus. As we make improvements and increase campus safety, student feedback remains critical. If you use WalkSafe and have the capacity, please complete the survey sent after your walk. Help us create a safer campus for everybody! 

Thinking of giving WalkSafe a try? Start here! 

 

Silvia Randazzo Carrie  

Communications Assistant