Measured in terms of passenger trips and customer satisfaction, the MBTA's Late Night Service Pilot Program is a success. Measured simply in dollars and cents, however, it's a failure, expected to run a $10.7 million deficit during its first year. If things don't change, it seems likely the service will be cut back, or canceled entirely.
The Boston Licensing Board has rejected a request from Amelia's Taqueria to stay open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The vote came after a hearing at which the mayor's office and the Allston Civic Association said there was no need for tacos to be served in the area later than the take-out place's current 2 a.m. closing time, even if the T does now run until 3 a.m.
City officials and the Allston Civic Association won't back a Brighton Avenue taco shop's efforts to stay open an hour later on weekend nights.
Representatives of the mayor's office - which just this week announced a task force to look at how to wake the City that Always Sleeps - and city councilors Mark Ciommo and Steve Murphy opposed Amelia's Taqueria's bid to be allowed to stay open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mayor Walsh has appointed 24 people to a Late Night Task Force (one for each hour?) to figure out how to wake up the City that Always Sleeps by giving parts of Boston that late-night life that all the other world-class cities seem to have already figured out how to provide. And he hopes to have at least some pilot later-night offerings open to the public this summer.
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