The T definitely has more urgent priorities right now than restarting late-night service, which was discontinued in 2016 after a two-year experiment concluded that even a weekends-only version was too expensive.
Still, it was nice to hear general manager Phil Eng not shoot down the idea entirely when he was asked about it on GBH’s Boston Public Radio this week.
“I’ve been talking with my operations folks regarding the potential for later night service,” Eng said in response to a caller to the program, who complained about being stranded at Back Bay after missing the last train.
Anyone who’s stayed out late in Boston knows the feeling of racing to a station in hopes of getting there before the last train. In those moments, it’s hard not to envy places like New York City where the trains run all night.
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Still, the T’s most recent attempts to extend bus and train schedules have ended in tears. The “Night Owl” bus program began in 2001, but it attracted few riders and ended in 2005. In 2014, the Patrick administration started a pilot program of extended hours on weekends, but the Baker administration ended it amid high costs.
Without the late-night service, the last train generally leaves around 12:30 a.m.
The case for later trains is grounded in both convenience and equity. It’s easier to enjoy the city’s nightlife, such as it is, if you can take the subway home. Availability of mass transit is also an alternative for people who might otherwise drive drunk.
On the equity front, people who work odd hours — like restaurant workers and office janitors — don’t have access to the same transit options their taxes pay for as those who work traditional office hours. It’s an extra burden on them if they have to drive or pay for Ubers instead.
That said, it’s fully understandable why the T has no immediate plans to restore late-night service and is focusing instead on more pressing needs.
The T needs to provide reliable, delay-free service on all its lines at 3 p.m. before it worries about 3 a.m. That means clearing away the speed restrictions, completing the track work program, finishing the acquisition of new Orange and Red Line cars, and figuring out how to navigate the coming fiscal “cliff” caused by low ridership after the pandemic.
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But in the long term, late-night service ought to be part of the T’s future — and officials could start planning ahead now for how they’ll overcome the obstacles that doomed past efforts.
Fares alone do not cover the cost of late-night service (or service most other times of day, for that matter), so the T has to subsidize the rest. And because there are relatively few riders, the per-rider subsidy is high. During the 2014-2016 experiment, the T reported spending $13.38 a trip to subsidize late-night service, compared to the $1.43 it spent to subsidize daytime trips at the time.
The Patrick administration had hoped corporate sponsors would help pay the costs, but the level of support the agency needed didn’t materialize. There were also extra labor costs from paying overtime, which the agency might be able to avoid if it could make overnight shifts part of some workers’ regular schedules.
When the T’s ready to try late-night service again, it should learn from those experiences and commit to a long-term pilot that gives the program a fighting chance to succeed. It might be a long wait, but it’s promising that Eng is at least receptive to the idea.
Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.
