On Tuesday evening, the Saint Mary’s campus safety department launched their new replacement vehicle as part of their safety escort services, named “Blinkie Too.” The vehicle was purchased as part of the annual campus security budget.
The Blinkie Van Safety Escort Service runs from nightfall to 2 a.m. on the weekdays and 4 a.m. on the weekends during the academic year, giving students rides to and from the Grotto in addition to various stops around campus. This service is meant to provide “the safest possible environment for our community,” according to Saint Mary’s website.
Director of campus safety Phil Bambenek said the security department started shopping for a new Blinkie this semester as repairs became necessary and the number of students using the service grew.
The new white Ford Transit 350 can now hold 15 passengers, compared to the 12 seats in the previous Blinkie vehicle, and is already connected to BusWhere, an application for students to track Blinkie’s whereabouts and estimated times of arrival at various stops. Bamenek said it will soon be outfitted for the iconic ‘Blinkie’ wrap labels and the yellow blinking light as well.
“Weighing in at a sleek 9500 lbs, joining happy parents’ Chuck and Melanie in welcoming the newest member of the Saint Mary’s community to campus,” an announcement in the BusWhere app reads. “Dressed up for the holidays, and featuring updated heating and four wheel drive for those cold winter days ahead, route tracking starts at 7 p.m.”
Chuck McLane and Melanie Deschamphelaere, the alternating drivers for Blinkie, will now drive Blinkie Too each night. Bamenek said Saint Mary’s will use the previous vehicle for other purposes.
“We run a lot of experiential learning programs here, with kids going off campus to things around the community. We’ll probably use it for that, [but] I’m trying to figure out how to do that,” Bambenek said.
