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If the T won't provide late-night service, maybe a private company will

Like, for example, Boston Nightlife Express, which is now providing bus service between the BU campus and various downtown points, 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. You reserve a ride online - mostly $6 a pop - you can buy snacks on board and you get a cookie at your destination.

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Not a bad alternative for late night party goers.

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My alma mater had a fleet of "Tipsy Taxis" which would drive all the drunken coeds home when the bars closed (provided they lived within city limits) for $1. Those vans were a life-saver. I'm surprised more universities don't offer something similar. Granted, this was a small college town in California, but there has to be a way to provide some sort of late night mass transit in a city this dense with youngins'.

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Tufts tried a late night shuttle and the limo company canceled it after a month. The students were disorderly and the drivers had to clean up the mess from drunk (and puking) partygoers.

http://www.tuftsdaily.com/2.5511/boston-shuttle-ca...

It was free -- maybe a charge makes it worthwhile or gets better-behaved students.

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I saw their posters.

I was hoping you would never mention them Adam, because now the taxi people will know about it and complain and theyll be shut down by next week.

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I fear this too. the taxi lobby is powerful.

Great idea though but it should be extended till 3. Cuz that 2am rush would totally suck.

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I mean, police can pull buses over for obvious safety violations, but in terms of the sort of intensive regulation that gives us insanely priced taxi medallions through enforced scarcity, no, the Hackney Division isn't involved, because buses are regulated by the state DPU.

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Cities do regulate scheduled buses, by issuing (or refusing to issue) jitney licenses.

Maybe this service gets around local regulation by making you reserve and pay in advance on the web. Like how a livery car, which you have to call, differs from a taxi which can be hailed on the street.

I've also heard of startup taxi services in other cities that get around the medallion laws by being free, but accepting donations.

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After a few "toss" their cookies no one's gonna be offering any further cookies, trust me.

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YES!

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Also there's some strange design decisions. For example, is there really money in transporting people from BU West to Boston Common while the MBTA is still operating? They operate 3 shuttles before 12:30 and only 1 after 2am. If they expect people to use them for returning, that means that the first 3 buses are only going to operate at 33% capacity -- and that's before considering the MBTA alternative.

Their schedule is somewhat confusing. Why do I care about non-revenue moves? Yet they print them.

The bus seems to have 50 seats. As of 6:30 they have only sold a few for tonight. But I can buy them for the next 5.5 hours? Why would I buy a ticket to a 10pm bus at midnight, 2 hours after it has left?

Reservations in advance are annoying. Presumably they are used to avoid crossing certain regulations. Their mobile site isn't coming up for me, assuming they even have one. That would at least make it bearable.

But perhaps the biggest critique is that the equivalent cab fare with tip is $18 according to taxifarefinder. With 3 people that's the same as the bus -- $6 per person. Although, thanks to our city's ridiculous taxi policies, it is probably hard to find a cab at night there.

I don't know. I just don't see how this is a viable business model. I hope they do find a way to make it work, though.

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The old T Night Owl was always packed. I wish they had continued that.

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Night Owl service is only available in world class cities.

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*produces list of 100+ cities the size of worcester with 24 hour bus service*

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