One year ago today, Gainesville Police Department Lt. Corey Dahlem took to the streets to protect revelers of UF's men's basketball national championship. In the early hours of April 3, 2007, a drunken driver hit Dahlem, and he died the next day.
His widow, Sally Dahlem, stood outside the Reitz Union on Wednesday, encouraging UF students to use Nightlife Navigators, a new Web site that provides information about nighttime transportation to reduce drunken drinking.
"We don't want any families to go through what our family has gone through," Dahlem said. "It's not an accident. It's something that's totally preventable."
Nightlife Navigators celebrated its official kickoff Wednesday on the Reitz Union North Lawn with free pizza and a short address by Dahlem.
G. Tyler Parramore, a UF law student and the Web site's director, said Student Government, Florida Blue Key, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council started planning the site in fall of 2007.
The site lists Gainesville cab companies, Regional Transit System Later Gator routes and the free ride services offered by Gator Ride, a UF student organization.
Parramore said he's working with City Commissioner Jeanna Mastrodicasa, who also serves as UF's Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, to create taxi hubs around bars and clubs. Mastrodicasa said the taxi hubs would hopefully be established by this summer.
Parramore said he also hopes to attract more cab companies to Gainesville and form partnerships between the companies and local apartment complexes to provide reduced rates on weekend nights.
"Instead of just saying, 'Don't drink and drive,' like so many campaigns do, we wanted to do something to solve the problem," he said.
Kevin Reilly, UF Student Body president-elect, said it cost about $8,000 in SG funds to start the Web site and advertise for it. The money comes from students' Activity and Service fees, which are part of tuition.
After the ceremony, Dahlem said she thinks the Web site could help reduce drunken driving because it reminds students about transportation alternatives.
"If anything good can come out of this, it's awareness," she said.
