Despite being less than 10 miles from the center of Boston, students at Tufts often feel that they cannot make full use of the city due to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authoritys (MBTA) schedule. The subway system, commonly referred to as the T, is the most convenient mode of transportation for students, but it shuts down as early as 12:30 a.m. on weekends. This leads some students to opt for late-night taxis and others to avoid leaving campus in the first place.
In an attempt to tackle the issue of late-night travel, the Tufts Community Union Senate this Monday passed a resolution calling for a shuttle service to and from Boston on Friday and Saturday nights. Although the plan is still far from being put into practice, the move is indeed a step in the right direction.
Members of the Senate decided to take the issue of travel into their own hands after correspondence with the MBTA seemed increasingly futile. The MBTA Rider Oversight Committee, a group associated with, but independent from, the MBTA, earlier this year conducted a survey on the topic of increased service hours in hopes of resurrecting the night owl service that was shut down due to financing issues. This same issue is likely to pose difficulties for those planning the Tufts shuttle and it could be the case that students will have to pay for the service but the price will surely be lower than hefty cab fares students have to shell out when returning from Boston late at night.
The project, if successful, will open up numerous opportunities for students at Tufts. Weekend plans would no longer be restricted to Medford and Somerville, as Bostons brimming nightlife would become more accessible. Apart from concerts, bars and clubs, Jumbos would also have the opportunity to meet up with students from different colleges around the Boston area. Many of these institutions, such as Bentley University and Babson College, already offer late-night shuttle services to their students. It seems only fair that such a service is offered at Tufts as well.
Most importantly, the initiative will undoubtedly increase the safety of students, who would always have a reliable and safe mode of transportation back to campus.
The current difficulty of late-night travel is one of the few issues that almost everyone at Tufts can agree on. Those who ultimately decide on the implementation of the shuttle service are faced with numerous reasons for and few against. The Tufts School of Arts and Sciences website claims that the campus provides easy access to an exciting metropolis its about time students felt that way.
