SEPTA's first late night trains are a huge success!
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
JK. But there's a nugget of truth.
A stock photo of SEPTA stuff doing things
Just kidding! I'm ROFLing all over the place now because of your April foolishness.
But here's a nugget of truth to chew on until SEPTA runs its actual late night pilot program this summer: Boston's transit authority, MBTA, really did test its first late night transit service three days ago — and it was actually a huge success.
According to Boston magazine, the trial run was actually a little too successful:
... Judging by the crowded platform at Copley station, where some riders begrudgingly gave up on waiting for the last trains out of the city due to the over-packed vehicles that rolled up, reminding them of the service during peak daytime hours, finding people who want cab rides won't be so difficult.
"I'm not waiting, [expletive this]," one passenger said as she walked through the fare gates, exiting the station.
But for other, less profane riders, it was a turning point for the Hub:
For Berklee College of Music students Josh Walker and Corbin Johnson, the extra trains running into the early morning marked the start of a new chapter for Boston. "This is awesome. This made Boston a city," said Johnson.
While Boston may be younger, wealthier and more student-orientated than Philadelphia, the two cities' transit systems are similar in size, both carrying in excess of one million passengers on any given day.
However, Philly will probably not see the same kinds of crowds — Boston's late night roll out was much more ambitious, covering five rapid transit lines that compose more than half of the of MBTA's daily ridership. Although there is already late night service on the Norristown Highspeed Line and a number of bus and trolley lines, Philly's plan would only extend service on the El and Subway, which make up about a quarter of SEPTA's daily ridership.
Still, the MBTA's experience is at least a positive omen as SEPTA considers its own expansion of transit service after years of cutbacks.
