At one time or another, most New Yorkers have been out late at night, trying to make their way home via public transportation so they don’t have to shell out for a cab…and the buses and subways are too far away or not running.
It can end up taking double the time and effort just to get home, or require getting off at a stop that is too many blocks from where you live. Well, this is even more of a common (and frustrating) occurrence for people who work late night shifts.
Because of this, the MTA announced it will be piloting a “Late-Shift” program by partnering with a ride-share company (like Uber, Lyft, Via, etc.) to connect New Yorkers working late shifts to closer subways. The program would only be for boroughs outside of Manhattan.
According to a press release, late shift employment is “expected to grow faster than the overall economy over the next five to 10 years.” They say the fact that the subway system runs 24/7 can help spark job growth in the city, and are looking for better ways to connect these workers with the subway.
They’ll first identify areas in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island that are more than a half-mile from a subway station and don’t have frequently running buses overnight (less than every 20 minutes). They have put out a request-for-proposals and the deadline for submissions is February 18. They plan to have the late-shift pilot program partner selected by March 2020.
To be continued!
featured image source: MTA