MBTA Needs to Run Later (Boston, Quincy: cost, trains, cars)

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by timberline742

8.5 million people vs 700,000 people

Metro is 20.2 million vs 4.7 million.

Anyway, I don’t think that population has anything to do with it. Reno Nevada population 233,000 has 24 hour bus service, while Tokyo Japan population 38 million does not have 24 hour transit service. Culture has more to do with it then population. Any city that has a population large enough to support public transit, could theoretically support 24 hr transit, if the residents need 24 hour service.

[tysmith95]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Metro is 20.2 million vs 4.7 million.

Anyway, I don’t think that population has anything to do with it. Reno Nevada population 233,000 has 24 hour bus service, while Tokyo Japan population 38 million does not have 24 hour transit service. Culture has more to do with it then population. Any city that has a population large enough to support public transit, could theoretically support 24 hr transit, if the residents need 24 hour service.

True. Copenhagen with a metro area population of just over 2 million has 24/7 rail service.

[KaaBoom]

MBTA Hears From Public About Proposal To Cut Late-Night Service

The MBTA held its first public hearing Tuesday on the future of late-night service, which is on the chopping block as the transit agency looks for ways to reduce a projected $242 million deficit next fiscal year.

The T currently provides service until 2 a.m. on all subways lines and 10 key bus routes on Friday and Saturday nights. The service debuted as a pilot program in 2014 to much fanfare and continued in 2015 with some services scaled back.

But low ridership, high costs and a negative impact on maintenance have made the service “a real challenge” for the T to continue, MBTA assistant general manager Charles Planck said at Tuesday's public meeting.

MBTA Hears From Public About Proposal To Cut Late-Night Service

So there you have it.
1. There is not even enough demand for service even until 2AM on weekends.
2. It would have a negative impact on maintenance.
3. Financial, they don’t have the money for it.

[Amontillado]

We've debated this recently. We've tried late night, but not all night, MBTA service and there was very little demand for it. We've also talked about the subsidy from tax revenues that goes into supporting various MBTA modes, which unfortunately didn't consider the time of day that people were traveling, but it's a good guess that keeping the buses and trains running past midnight makes every trip taken in that period extremely costly.

What should I as a taxpayer be willing to pay in order to keep the buses and trains running late, so a tiny number of people can use them? I'll give you an honest answer: "not much". Yes, in New York maybe they have enough ridership to keep the system running 24/7. We're not New York.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by Amontillado

We've debated this recently. We've tried late night, but not all night, MBTA service and there was very little demand for it. We've also talked about the subsidy from tax revenues that goes into supporting various MBTA modes, which unfortunately didn't consider the time of day that people were traveling, but it's a good guess that keeping the buses and trains running past midnight makes every trip taken in that period extremely costly.

What should I as a taxpayer be willing to pay in order to keep the buses and trains running late, so a tiny number of people can use them? I'll give you an honest answer: "not much". Yes, in New York maybe they have enough ridership to keep the system running 24/7. We're not New York.

24 hour service in NYC isn't what most people think. A few subway and bus lines run 24 hours, with service frequency ranging from once every 30-60 minutes. The rest of the system shuts down and there is a dizzying array of signage in subway stations explaining what to do during off hours to get where you want to go.

IMO if the MBTA really wanted to run 24 hour service they could run the subway and a few busses once or twice an hour and people would be grateful. In reality the T hates the idea of 24 hour service and doomed the late night project from the start by running it 2 nights a week.

[rethcir]

The situation is greatly improved now that Uber is available for late night transit. The problem used to be that it was nigh impossible to get a cab after the bars let out.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by rethcir

The situation is greatly improved now that Uber is available for late night transit. The problem used to be that it was nigh impossible to get a cab after the bars let out.

Yeah, I think lyft/uber has really lessened the demand.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by Amontillado

What should I as a taxpayer be willing to pay in order to keep the buses and trains running late, so a tiny number of people can use them? I'll give you an honest answer: "not much".

I feel the same way about paying to police and light roads that aren't used much in the late night hours.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Reno Nevada population 233,000 has 24 hour bus service, while Tokyo Japan population 38 million does not have 24 hour transit service.

Browsing schedules, it looks like Reno has one 24-hour bus route. Many routes don't even operate past 9:00 p.m., or 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Tokyo, like Boston, gets ridiculed for shutting down the transit system at night.

Originally Posted by Dm84

24 hour service in NYC isn't what most people think. A few subway and bus lines run 24 hours, with service frequency ranging from once every 30-60 minutes. The rest of the system shuts down and there is a dizzying array of signage in subway stations explaining what to do during off hours to get where you want to go.

The whole system is open 24 hours; it's just some routes that don't run. You can still get to any station (that isn't temporarily closed for construction).

[Nobodybody]

Besides the whole population & demand argument, isn't another argument that trains predominately occupied by intoxicated people at the end of their night carries their own set of issues?