Ibis Ride Kick-Off celebrates free, safe ride to the Grove

The Ibis Ride Shuttle that takes students to and from Coconut Grove had a kick-off celebration Thursday night.

The event, hosted by Pier 21, took place at Stanford Circle — the pick-up location for the shuttles — and offered free pizza and drinks to students as they left to the Grove.

Student Government Press Secretary Adam Orshan advocated the shuttle’s goal to facilitate transportation for students.

“The Ibis ride in general is a free and safe shuttle for students to take to Coconut Grove and back,” he said. “So the purpose of tonight, this is the first night it runs, that’s why it’s the Ibis Ride Kick-Off, is we want to make sure students are aware that they have the option to take the Ibis Ride to the Grove. It is safe. It is free. You’re not driving or anything else like that.”

Many freshmen like Alan Li who are not allowed to have cars on campus took advantage of the shuttles.

He chose to ride the shuttle because of safety reasons, but he considered costs to be the most important factor. He finds that Ibis Ride is an alternative to paying for a taxi.

“Taking a cab is safe too, that’s what we used to do, but the [Ibis Ride] is free so it’s way more convenient,” he said. “We’re college kids, we can’t pay $20 every Thursday. That adds up.”

Freshman Iliana Blasdell was also concerned about costs and safety. She finds that the Ibis Ride offers the safest option for students heading to the Grove.

“I think it’s definitely better, just because it goes through the school and for costs purposes too,” she said. “It gets really expensive, so it’s nice to just to have that option.”

Students must show their Cane Cards to ride the shuttles. Ibis Ride runs Thursday and Friday nights from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m.