Ever miss the Metro’s late-night train service? If so, join the club. Forty of Maryland’s elected officials from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are pushing for its return—and not stop service at 10pm on Sundays and at midnight for the rest of the week.
People who work late at night would be left without an affordable option home. And others who have gotten buzzed at bars won’t have a safe way back.
And then there’s the effect on people who live in mixed use developments that are centered around the Metro. If the Metro isn’t running as long as it could each day, then the convenience of living in the costlier homes will not prove worthwhile.
What could WMATA do? Officials propose a few options, as reported by NBC: "Perhaps there are alternative options that can maintain late-night weekend and standard Sunday night service such as temporary spot closures (the entire system cannot be worked on at once); express service that skips some stations and single tracks around maintenance areas; or focusing service on an outbound basis after a certain hour," officials suggest in the letter. "None of these suggestions are an ideal solution, and we do not explicitly endorse any of them, but all are preferable to a permanent end to late-night weekend service and standard Sunday service."
Would you vote to keep the late night hours, or put them to sleep?