Quote:
Originally Posted by cam_wmh
Bunk, Thanks for your replies.
Has late night service been tried before on a NYE, Halloween or even Stampede type event? Any data to share?
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LRT runs 24 hours a day throughout Stampede. Frequencies are reduced during the very late night though.
There has been some political appetite to expand late night service in various measures. For instance, there was some talk a few years ago about running the #3 bus (highest volume bus route in the city and a far-reaching cross-town route) 24 hours a day.
There's a few competing priorities and some other details to take into account though when considering various options.
With the LRT, there is actually maintenance of track and way that goes on during the few hours of the night that it doesn't run and having it run 24 hours a day on a regular basis would compromise this and solutions are tough to come by. It would mean more frequent weekend track closures throughout the system.
One issue I've always foreseen with the "vomit comet" late night train/bus service is that a lot of people would use it to get to the station nearest to their residence, but then what? Certainly the people that balked at getting a cab from the bar aren't going to call a cab to the station. Walking would be an option for some. What I think you'd see a lot of is people parking at the station, taking the train to the bar, taking the train back to the station and then driving the rest of the way home drunk where they are less likely to get stopped by the police. I suppose in one sense that it diminishes the distance that people are driving drunk.
What about the people that are sure to pass out on the train on the way home? The operator/transit cops probably kick them off at the terminal station, and then what? Are they really that much better off if, say, their "home" station is Marlborough and they are way up in Saddletownehillsridgelakevillewood? This exact situation is something the transit union would bring up as a safety concern too, I'm sure.
Another issue is the funding balance that has to be struck. The truth is that, from a ridership demand perspective, peak hour, midday and weekend service far outweighs the need for service in the middle of the night. If you're going to direct funds toward more service, it would be difficult to justify service at 3 AM to hundreds and thousands of people being left at bus and train stops every weekday morning and afternoon because buses and trains are full. Not saying there isn't an argument for public safety and providing a more comprehensive service, but there certainly isn't a lack of other demands.