Safety

Suzzallo Library at night

The University of Washington is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and secure campus. Transportation Services coordinates efforts with the UW Police Department to provide programs and services focused on safety. This page provides information and links relating to those programs.

In an emergency, always call 911.

Quick links

students walking through the quad in the snow

Even if the weather outside turns frightful, your commute doesn’t have to be. Get ready with the following resources and make sure you know your department's inclement weather policies.

UW resources

  • UW Alerts: Sign up to receive notifications of emergencies, including extreme weather, that may disrupt the University's normal operation.
  • Snow removal map: Check which campus roads and sidewalks are cleared.
  • UW Human Resources: Learn about leave use and compensation during periods of inclement weather and suspended operations.
  • Telework policy and technical help: Resources for working remotely from UWHR and UWIT.
  • Trip planning: Contact ucommute@uw.edu to plan your alternate route to campus ahead of inclement weather.
  • Walking on snow and ice: Advisory from Environmental Health & Safety.

Transit agencies

Rider alerts and other resources from regional transportation agencies.

Tips for drivers

Be mindful of ice (especially black ice), rain, fog, leaves, debris, oil, wet roadways and other slippery road conditions. Slow down, give the vehicle in front plenty of room and allow yourself more time to get where you're going. WSDOT has a good list of other winter driving safety tips.

Parking lots and garages can become especially slick during winter, so please use caution. In severe weather conditions, only certain levels of UW lots and garages may be open. If top levels of garages are closed for safety, please do not attempt to park there. The status of major parking lots and garages will be communicated on the Transportation Services homepage as information becomes available.

NightRide Shuttle is a fare-free, safe and easy way for Husky Card holders to get home at night. NightRide shuttles pick up passengers at eight convenient campus locations and drop them off anywhere within one of two zones. Service runs Monday through Friday (excluding University holidays and summer quarter) and pickups run from 8 p.m. until just after 1:30 a.m.

Husky SafeTrip (formerly Husky NightWalk) provides a safe vehicle escort at night with a uniformed security guard for students, faculty and staff. Use Husky SafeTrip to safely get from campus to your home, to your car or to another UW building within a designated service area. Call 206-685-9255 to request an escort.

The UW Medical Center Department of Public Safety provides escorts for hospital employees and volunteers from the UWMC main lobby entrance to university campus parking lots. Service is available Monday through Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m, with additional times as available. Call 206-598-5555 to arrange an escort.

SafeZone is an app that connects your mobile phone to the UW Police Department. It has call buttons for emergency, first aid and non-emergency help and lets users easily share their location with UWPD dispatch.

In response to a growing number of reports of sexual misconduct on transit, King County Metro has launched the Report it to Stop it campaign to connect riders to important resources.

The University is committed to your safety whenever you ride on a UW Shuttle, park in a UW facility or use other transportation services.

In urgent situations, always call 911. You have the right to report sexual misconduct to the University, to the police, to both or not at all. After you are safe, you can report an incident and find more support services at:

  • UW Seattle: 206-685-SAFE (7233)
  • UW Bothell: 425-352-SAFE (7233)
  • UW Tacoma: 253-692-SAFE (7233)

The University of Washington also provides access to confidential advocates for all UW campuses. Additional UW resources on sexual assault can be found online.

Our highest crime on campus is theft — mostly of unattended or improperly secured items.  When parking on campus, always remove your valuables and lock your doors. Love your stuff? Keep it safe, secured and out of sight.

Tips for passengers

  • If you have a problem on a UW shuttle, i.e. harassment, inappropriate or disruptive behavior, tell the driver immediately. Give a description of the disruptive individual, explain what is happening and how it makes you feel.
  • Please remember that safety and security problems are treated with higher priority. See 'Role of the Driver' below for more information on the decision-making process that drivers follow when responding to problems.
  • If situations prevent you from alerting the driver and you feel intimated or threatened or observe a crime being committed or a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 to report the problem when it's safe to do so.
  • BE PREPARED to give bus information i.e. Health Sciences Express, South Lake Union shuttle etc. the direction the bus is traveling, as well as the next stop location. The coach number also helps identify the bus. Inside the bus, the coach number is located directly above the driver. On the outside of the bus, the number is located on the outer corner and is a three digit number.

Role of the driver

  • The bus driver's primary job is to operate the bus safely. If problems arise on the bus, the bus driver's first priority is to determine if a passenger's safety or security is at stake. The driver will assess the severity of the problem and resources available, and respond accordingly. The driver can radio a verbal code which will dispatch UW security or the Seattle police.
  • The bus driver, at his/her discretion, may choose to talk to the passenger, request the passenger exit the bus, call for assistance, or take no immediate action. In the case of minor infractions of the code of conduct (posted inside of buses) the UW Shuttles general guideline for the driver would be to continue on the route rather than inconvenience other riders by delaying service.
  • Keep in mind, the role of the bus driver is that of a peacekeeper, not an enforcer. Enforcement of the code of conduct is handled through a network of professionals that can be called upon by the driver, if and when needed.

Campus roadways or parking lots

If you see a maintenance problem on our campus roadways or parking lots, please let us know by submitting a service request online or by contacting our Customer Care team at 206-685-1900.

For problems near the UW Medical Center, please contact their Facilities team at 206-598-4911.

If you wish to reach Transportation Maintenance during normal business hours, please call Transportation Services at 206-221-3701 or ucommute@uw.edu.

City of Seattle sidewalks or roadways

You can report a City of Seattle sidewalk or roadway maintenance issue using the city's Find It Fix It app. You can also call 206-684-ROAD (7623) or email road@seattle.gov.