MBTA Late-Night Ridership Reaches Milestone

By Michael Bednarsky

Later MBTA service has become a popular option.

Last March, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) extended the weekend hours for Rapid Transit and Key Bus Routes by 90 minutes. The Boston Globe reports that ridership since that change has exceeded 400,000.

The program, which began a yearlong phase on March 28, keeps subways, The Ride and chosen bus routes in operation until about 3 a.m. The hour extension has been considered a success and may result in a permanent change for MBTA services. Park Street, Central and Harvard are among the most popular stations for weekend nights.

“It’s five times better than what we did with the Night Owl,” MBTA general manager Beverly A. Scott said to Boston Globe in April. “That’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, but it’s already what our folks recognize as having been much more significant in ridership.”

Night Owl, a bus service that traced the routes of subway lines, was introduced in 2001. The service was cancelled in 2005 due to budget cuts, and the average nightly ridership was under 700 people at the time of the cancellation.

The MBTA weekend hour extension, which was initially announced in December 2013, is estimated to cost $17 million. Dunkin’ Donuts, Suffolk Construction, and other private sponsors are funding part of the project.

Read the original Boston Globe article here: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/08/05/mbta-experiment-late-night-service-passes-mark/RSbD3AP9CEXODuWM8MRr4K/story.html

Look back on the debut of the hour extension: http://www.bostonglobe.com/2014/04/01/more-than-ride-late-night-debut-weekend/6RdfPH5sRvr883UusA4ZcL/story.html

Learn more about the extended late night hours of MBTA by visiting: http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/default.asp?id=6442451913