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So this pilot specifically
So this pilot specifically DOESN'T add late night service where it's needed most--Boston?!? Instead, it's basically a government subsidy to healthcare & hospitality providers so their workers can travel on the T's dime between 12:45am-5am. Cool.
34E
Serves a part of Boston that has never had late-night service at all.
And let's not forget
The 15, 24 (seriously, the 24?), and the 66 all primarily serve Boston.
I kind of liked the earlier idea of blowing up the whole bus number system and create an overnight bus network, but any thing is progress, right?
Data
They did a lot of data collection to see which trips were crowded near the end of service, and figured those trips would have the most demand for more later service. Not really that hard! It's the same way they added earlier trips to some lines: figure out which buses are full, and add service earlier to those lines. (And if you don't think there are jam-packed full buses at 5:03 a.m., head down to Haymarket around that time and watch a sardine-like 117 come in from Chelsea and Everett.)
Silver line to airport
Workers need to get in and out of the area, as do passengers on delayed flights and very early morning flights, too.
Just To Be Stranded at South Station?
A lot of peoples late hour commutes require a bus/train combo. Getting to/from South Station, Haymarket, Sullivan is just one step. Taking the train out of the equation, we have to connect the dots of the proposed night owl lines to see where you can actually get to. On the 15, almost all of the late night passengers are traveling to/from connections at Dudley or Ruggles. So what if there's nothing there to take them the rest of the way?
Well, the 15 goes into
Well, the 15 goes into/through neighborhoods, so people working late in the city could actually get home.
As for getting only as far as Dudley/Ruggles, I'd say getting out of downtown means a more convenient pickup for a friend/family member to come get you - or a cheaper cab/uber/lyft - than doing the same from downtown.
I disagree
It is getting workers who start/end their shifts when the T is typically closed to home or work. That is a major role of transit.
Well done, T.
The article says they're
The article says they're adding more Silver Line service, so this will add late night service within Boston--Roxbury has been part of Boston for 150 years.
You...do realize that that's
You...do realize that that's the purpose of public transit, right? To help people get where they're needed to be? I fail to see what the issue of extending that public service to people who work shifts that may be different than your own is.
Yes, and this concept is known as
Transit.
Overnight and odd-shift workers
Is where this transit is needed most.
If you can go out drinking, you can get a LYFT or UBER or bring your bike.
Uhhh... guess which
Uhhh... guess which occupations have a bias towards early morning/late night shifts because of the nature of their responsibilities?
slow down, hoss
First of all..
.. are in what city now?
Secondably...
.. ?¿?¿ .. you do realize this is not a free shuttle service, right?
Why?
Are they budgeting 100,000 dollars for police who don't ride buses now and won't ride buses at night?
Because a cop in a cruiser ...
Can get to an emergency a lot faster than a cop on a bus when the emergency is somewhere else.
You do realize all the buses have radios and panic buttons, right?
T-security
I understand that buses also have green lights and emergency signage. The Transit Police have a midnight shift and the vast majority of stations are closed. Can"t these officers combined with local and state police work together to make sure late night bus rides are safe.
Trump may be president, but
Trump may be president, but the entire region hasn't devolved into some lawless dystopian future...yet.
Theyre finally using common
Theyre finally using common sense.
Adding later service to lines where the demand exists is the right thing to do.
Some lines only operate rush hour. Some operate until 8pm. Some until midnight. Some until 3am.
That's a good thing.
"There will be one later trip added on certain days to several bus routes"
This is also good. If that one later trip shows increases, maybe they can add another one after that.
Well Met, MBTA...
I'm all for notching up service in response to known, latent demand. Night Owl (Take Three) might actually have a fighting chance with this approach. I hope that if the FA18 ridership numbers are solid (honestly, why wouldn't they be) then perhaps the T could start running the existing, radial Sunrise Routes (i.e. 191, 192, 193, 194 and 197) overnight beginning with the Spring 2019 timetable. A one-seat ride betwixt Downtown Crossing and Roslindale Square, Winter Hill, Revere, Brighton Center or Meetinghouse Hill during the overnight would be perfect. Then just add a few overnight Route 01 and 66 crosstown trips; a Route 09 & 10 belt line for Southie, Newmarket and the South End; and a Route 87/88 belt for Somerville and you are just about set.
Hell, throw the South Shore a bone and run an extra Route 210 trip to Quincy and Braintree... maybe even a new variation express from Neponset to downtown via JFK/UMass?!?!
Yay! We'll finally be back to 1899 overnight service levels in no time!