MBTA Not Considering Late Night Service
The days of the Night Owl bus service are long gone, and as of now, they may not return. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said until the state implements Gov. Deval Patrick’s recent 21st Century Plan transportation budget roll out, late night service is out of the question. “Given the enormous strain on the MBTA’s limited resources, the Authority cannot even consider an extension of service hours before action is taken on the 21st Century Transportation Plan,” Pesaturo said in an email. The Night Owl bus service, which ran buses from the end of service at 1 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., existed between 2001 and 2005, but was too costly to maintain. Another major issue working against late night service is the short time it allows for crews to perform critical track maintenance, according to Pesaturo. In the 2012 Massachusetts Department of Transportation film “Boston Under: After Hours,” one segment explains that from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., crews perform maintenance on tracks while service is shut down. That hasn’t stopped T riders from pushing for late service. Boston Stay Up, a Twitter account (@beantownstayup) and Facebook group started by two Suffolk University students “trying to get the T to stay open later,” sprung up recently. Though there are no plans now, the door remains open to future late-night service. Bostinno.com reported Jan. 22 that at least some MassDOT were considering a plan if new funding could be found. “The MBTA is investigating providing service beyond our current 1 a.m. schedule on a pilot basis where there is ridership demand,” according to a statement from MassDOT officials on Bostinno. “If additional operating funds are identified, major bus routes and the most heavily traveled portions of the subway and light rail systems will be considered for extra service.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Boston’s Parking Ban Will Be Lifted at 6 p.m. Tuesday Night
The city announced on Tuesday afternoon that due to recent strides made in snow removal from city streets, Boston’s snow emergency parking ban would be lifted at 6 p.m. Tuesday night. “Our snow removal teams did great work throughout the night last night,” Mayor Menino said. “Our crews will be out there all day and again tonight as we continue to widen roads, make our schools safe for students, and respond to residents’ concerns about residential areas.” Those who parked their cars in garages during the snow emergency have until 8 p.m. to move them before reduced rates expire. The city also announced certain streets will continue to be specified as “No Parking” while crews continue to remove snow. The mayor also announced on Tuesday that Boston Public Schools would reopen on Wednesday. Snow Removal ProgressThrough the city’s concentrated snow removal efforts on Monday night, the mayor’s office reported that 1,350 truck loads of snow were removed from roadways, and 70 streets were reached for snow removal during the overnight shift. Inspectional Services issued 350 citations between midnight and 7 a.m. for snow-related violations. The city is currently utilizing several snow farms, including at Marine Industrial Park, Reservation Road in Hyde Park and Columbus Avenue, next to 1542 Columbus. If you have snow conditions or violations to report, you can reach the mayor’s office at 617-635-4500. South End Patch