It's always a buzzkill when you're out on the town, spending your hard-earned money on a good time with your friends, only to have to cut it short in order to make the last BART train at midnight. That might change in the very near future, because BART officials are weighing the pros and cons of extending a few operating hours on weekends so people don't get stuck on the opposite side of the bay.
According to Bay Citizen, BART's new board president, Bob Franklin, is game to stage a public discussion as to whether or not to add an hour or two to weekend train routes. While it won't be any sort of 24-hour deal like New York City's subways, the extra hour could save many from emptying their pockets for a cab, or taking a long ride on the Transbay bus in the wee hours of the morning.
The catch is that, in Franklin's view, the only way to accomplish it without hurting service and system maintenance would be to start BART service at 5 am instead of 4 am. If you're a commuter due at work that early, you'll be somewhat screwed. Franklin is also weighing the option of providing bus or train service to terminus stations.
As reported by Streetsblog San Francisco, BART has not really done any studies on changing operation times in a couple of decades. However, with the induction of Franklin to the head of the board, they will be meeting with staff and board members to discuss all possibilities in detail, as well as holding planning meetings that'll include the public.
What do you think? Will it be worth it to take hours away from morning commuters and give them to late-night riders?