Midnight Train to Harvard

In fall 2013, The Crimson lauded the change in MBTA policy that would expand late-night T service with a one-year pilot program. Harvard students, both at the College and University levels, stand to benefit from increased public transportation options. Now that the MBTA is calling for corporate sponsors in an effort to defray the costs of late-night scheduling, Harvard should become a sponsor in order to support both the needs of its students and the economic climate of Greater Boston.

According to MBTA officials, late-night service is expected to cost around $20 million annually, not accounting for offsetting fares or sponsorships. In order to fund even the one-year pilot program, the T recently unveiled a tiered sponsorship system that offers advertising opportunities on transit property in order to help maintain and operate the new late-night option. The “Late Night Sponsorship Program” packages range in cost from $25,000 to $500,000, offering Harvard room to contribute as it can. If the price tag on the $250,000 Gold Sponsorship seems too steep in light of recently rejected UC funding calls, Harvard can still support late night service through the more modest Steel or Copper options. After all, Harvard students will reap some of the largest gains from the new service.

Expanded T hours would allow for greater ease of access to Boston and a more vibrant student life, for undergraduate graduate students alike. The T’s current 1 a.m. end time cuts a sharp curfew on the actual hours of weekend nightlife. Students and young people around Boston in part drive the demand for the change, and stand to benefit from late-night mobility. At the graduate schools in particular, students will gain access to the more vibrant urban life of Boston’s bars and restaurants without worrying about the early T curfew. At the College, students will find it easier to step outside the proverbial Harvard “bubble,” confident in the ability to ride the T without getting stuck far from home late at night. And an alternative to hefty cab fares will make Boston more accessible for many Harvard students.

Aside from its responsibility to students, Harvard also stands as an integral part of the local community. As such, it should give back and support the local infrastructure. Boston’s economic and social well-being are inextricably tied to Harvard’s metropolitan appeal. As such, Harvard should financially support a service that looks to expand the economic prospects of its community.

Facility of transportation is key to a robust nightlife and to an economically thriving city, and improvements in Boston’s infrastructure will spill over into Cambridge. By financially sponsoring a T service that benefits both the community and its students, Harvard would demonstrate its commitment to a necessary and long-awaited change.