KU Student Senate proposes new student fee package to reinstate SafeRide

KU student senate discusses bills inside the Alderson Room in the student union in Lawrence, Kansas, February 12, 2026. Photo by Caden Baird.

SafeRide may be making a return for KU students.

The student transportation service, which began in 1989, was terminated on July 25, 2025, following a significant reduction in funding by senators. It was replaced with SafeBus, a lower-cost alternative that operates Monday through Thursday until 1 a.m.

Now, a newly proposed student fee package would direct $12.55 in student fees to fund SafeRide’s return. If approved, the overall fee package would cost students $2 less than they paid last year.

KU Senator Esperança F. Monteiro Henson, who joined the senate last fall with the goal of reinstating the service, said SafeRide plays a critical role in student safety.

“You should have your university to protect you when you come back home,” Monteiro Henson said. “You should have that form of transportation that is going to secure you a safe space when you go back home.”

The proposal is part of a broader reallocation of student fees that prioritizes health and safety services. According to a recent student survey, lowering student fees ranked as the top priority, followed by transportation and SafeRide.

The package would also fully defund the University Daily Kansan, requiring the newspaper to apply for block funding—a competitive funding source that is not guaranteed. The measure would also eliminate funding for the Hilltop Child Development Center.

Monteiro Henson said the goal is to use student money as efficiently as possible.

“We’re doing everything we can to bring SafeRide for the next academic year as effectively as possible,” she said.

If reinstated, SafeRide could operate with new policies. Proposed changes include requiring students to present a student ID at pickup, implementing a $1.50 fee for off-campus rides and issuing penalties for excessive ride cancellations.

The bill was unanimously approved by the Student Senate Fee Review Committee and must now pass the Finance Council and the full Student Senate with a two-thirds majority in both bodies.

If the measure fails, Monteiro Henson has a backup plan: a student petition to place SafeRide’s return on the ballot. The petition requires more than 1,300 signatures and has collected about 200 so far.

While the final outcome remains uncertain, SafeRide’s return appears increasingly possible as the Student Senate debates next year’s student fee package.

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