Once upon a time the MBTA made a halfhearted attempt to provide a limited late night transit service on weekends called the “Night Owl”, but the popular program was axed as a cost cutting measure some 6-years ago.
Now The Boston Herald is reporting the Restaurant and Business Alliance is pushing to have late night service reinstated. I’ve been a long-time fan of extending public transportation hours and making the existing system more available. Thousands of employees work during hours that T service is not available. However, finding a way to pay for this additional service is a legitimate concern. In the article acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis is quoted as saying its simply too expensive. I’d like a more novel approach and put the concept out to bid for ideas on how to make this work. It seems if we can figure out how to fly a man to the Moon, we can pay for late night public transportation – its merely a matter of priorities.
The full article in the Boston Herald can be read here.
BosGuy 
The full press release and plan for your review.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, December 05, 2011
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Contact: Vincent A.J. Errichetti
VErrichetti@aol.com
(617) 922-1824
Plan Proposed to Expand T Services to 2AM
Public and Private Sectors Collaborate to Find Solutions, Grow Economy
Boston — Elected officials and business leaders today announced a proposal to expand the T hours on Friday and Saturday evenings to help make it easier for consumers to stay out later and stimulate the economy.
The plan is a collaboration between State Representative Sean Garballey and Dave Andelman, President of the Restaurant and Business Alliance.
“Helping businesses maximize their busiest times helps everyone in this economy, and by changing some of the metrics and thinking creatively, we believe we can make this a reality,” said Representative Garballey, who lives in Arlington.
“If 50,000 consumers can stay out just one hour longer, and they spend an average of $20, the increased revenue from sales taxes, meals taxes and payroll taxes will make everyone a winner,” said Dave Andleman, who lives in downtown Boston. Dave continued, “And allowing waiters, waitresses, bartenders and kitchen staff a way to get home makes Boston a safer place.”
While the plan is still being finalized, components include:
– Running the T final train at 2:00am on Friday and Saturday nights.
– Starting at 10:00pm on those nights, running trains on 20 minutes cycles, opposed to 12 minutes, to lower the costs for the additional operation.
– Have trains sit in stations longer offering more boarding time to provide safety and mitigate waiting
– Starting at 11:00pm on those nights, fairs increase to compensate for running the system with less customers longer, a much cheaper option than a cab ride.
NOTE: A trial period would be needed, possibly sometime in 2012, to determine the proper amount. Monthly Link: Same Price during trial, Charlie Card: From $1.70 to $2.50Charlie Ticket: From $2.00 to $3.00.
– Adding advertising on the Charlie Ticket and Charlie Cards as is done in other states would also be proposed as part of the plan.
A trial period to determine feasibility and a final cost benefit analysis would be needed. The plan will propose April of 2012 as ideal for the pilot program to work out the kinks.
With increases in the student population, build outs such as the Seaport District and the coming casino, working now to expand the T services into the night will ensure a smoother transition in the future.
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