It’s something that college students in and around Boston have wanted to hear for years…the MBTA now has subway and bus routes running as late as 3 a.m.!
Newly elected mayor, Marty Walsh, planned to have the T operate later, but it was Governor Deval Patrick who took care of it first. He says, “This is about how we make the system modern for the kind of economic growth we have been experiencing and will be experiencing.” This new plan will be a one-year experiment, and if it’s popular enough, there’s a chance it’ll be permanent.
Transportation Secretary, Richard Davey, says that this service will help to see if late-night services are sustainable. Currently, around 3,000 people use the Red, Blue, Green or Orange lines between midnight and 1 a.m. on a weeknight, compared to 5,200 people on a Saturday night. As of now, the cost for riding the subways and busses will remain the same, but if the service becomes permanent, there may be a premium charge of about $3 or $3.50 per ride. To help pay for the service, the state is paying $20 million to get it up and running, and are looking to many corporate sponsors to help with the cost. Some sponsors include The Boston Globe and Karmaloop.
Mayor Walsh said in an interview last month that he would like to see downtown bars open until 2:30 AM, and dancing until 3:30 AM. Who knows, Boston could soon become another city that never sleeps.