Missing the last T out of Boston and paying through the nose for a cab to campus has become a routine for thousands of local college students, but a new late-night transportation option could save clubgoers a handful of cash.
The MBTA will begin its Night Owl bus service on Sept. 7, providing transportation from 12:30-2:30 a.m., when the T is closed for maintenance. The buses will follow normal subway lines, with fares that reflect regular transportation fees, generally $1. Night Owl busses will also accept T passes.
Lydia Rivera, an MBTA spokeswoman, said the one-year experiment comes after decades of rider complaints. "Over the years, customers have always asked 'Why doesn't Boston have all-night service,'" she said. Local politicians have likewise lobbied for late-night subway service in Boston, according to Rivera.
Boston-area college students influenced the decision to test the Night Owl service - especially those who live along the heavily-traveled Green Line, which includes stops at Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern University, Rivera said.
But despite the support, the program's future is uncertain. "The Night Owl service is a pilot which will allow the MBTA to evaluate ridership, check out glitches, and make adjustments as needed," Rivera said.
After the initial year, the MBTA will decide whether to decrease or increase the number of buses, or discontinue the service entirely.
According to advocates, the new service will decrease drunk driving incidents, but Rivera says the project was not meant to accommodate late-night drinkers. "It's not to fill up the buses with drunks," she said, "but to make it open for tourists and late-night workers who would usually take a cab."
Tufts students, however, say they will utilize the service as well. "I'd go into the city more and wouldn't have to worry about expensive cab fare," said sophomore Shaina Wyche.
With the Night Owl service, students hitting the clubs on Lansdowne Street will not have to worry about cab fare anymore. The last Night Owl bus will leave at 2:30 a.m., thirty minutes after most clubs and bars shut down for the night.
Sophomore Katrina Elio praised the service's convenience. "I think [Night Owl] is a really good idea because it makes going out a lot easier and it's safer... than looking for a cab around Boston," she said. "It will encourage people to go out and see Boston at night and not worry about getting back."
However, some students prefer not to use public transportation at all.
"My experience with MBTA buses wasn't too great, with all the stops and everything it would take awhile to get to places and back. I have my car this year, so I'll be using that to get into Boston," sophomore Matt Dysart said.
Although Tufts started its own late-night shuttle to Boston last year, it may not continue in light of the MBTA's service, according to Tufts Community Union Senate President Eric Greenberg.
"The Tufts shuttle plan was to start three years ago but didn't because the MBTA also planned to create a late-night bus service," Greenberg said. "Last year, with the shift in the Tufts social scene, people said, 'Let's get the shuttle going.' It was a great way to tap into the Boston social scene," he said.
While last year's Tufts shuttle did not operate every weekend, the MBTA service will. But Greenberg believes that a late-night campus shuttle is still a possibility.
"The purpose of the Tufts shuttle was safety," Greenberg said. "We'll see how the extended bus hours work out, see how reliable and safe it is, and if students feel like they still need a Tufts bus, then we may start it up again."
