Women’s Transit remains closed due to operations ceasing in the middle of the fall semester.

Sarah Smith, the Women’s Transit coordinator, has reached out to the other university offices involved in the transit assessment and is waiting to hear back before moving forward with a plan of action.

As soon as Women’s Transit receives new information, students will be notified through the organization’s Facebook page, website and through general WSU announcements.

“We need to make sure our policy is in compliance with the most current standards,” former Interim Director Heidi Stanton Schnebly said.

The program was established in the 1970s, and few updates have been made since, she explained. When she began her role, nothing had been assessed, and there was no handbook or any other sort of guidelines for her to reference regarding the program’s operations.

“It appears Women’s Transit is strongly concerned with liability related to not having enough people to run,” said Alex Song, the previous student program leader.

Song explained that in the previous academic year there were approximately 150 volunteers, just half of which were active on a weekly basis.

Current Student Program Leader Savannah Banuelos said the reviewers felt it was prudent not to re-open the program until completing reviews and implementing necessary changes.

Though it is standard practice to conduct a review, the process did not start until midway through the semester due to turnover of assessment staff, Stanton Schnebly said.

“It will take some time to complete the review and assessment process and then move forward to implement any and all necessary changes and revisions,” she said, noting other alternatives to Women’s Transit.

The WSU Police Department offers Cougar Security Escorts to walk between campus buildings, local living area, or any of the WSU grounds free of charge. To obtain a Security Escort, students can call (509) 432-3818 Wednesday – Saturday, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and allow 15-20 minutes for an escort to arrive.

Pullman Transit is free with WSU ID, and there are several local taxicab services: College Cabs, 855-taxi-4-us; A Top Notch Taxi, 509-338-0500; and Blue Water Taxi, 509-336-5050.