Who’s Ready for a 24/7 SEPTA?

That great catalyst for real-life political results, Change.org, features a petition today to turn the El and the Broad Street line into a 24/7 service.

Perhaps it’d be better to start with a less ambitious proposal. In Boston, for instance, the MBTA is debuting weekend subway service until 3 a.m., which is costing the state more than $20 million per year. (Good luck getting Harrisburg Republicans to toss that into the annual subsidy.) Add the fact that SEPTA ridership is down significantly this year, and it doesn’t seem like there are enough bodies or cash to support even a smaller expansion.

Besides, there are only four public transit systems in the world that operate 24/7. NYC’s MTA, the NYC/NJ PATH trains, the Chicago’s Red and Blue Lines, and….drum roll, please: PATCO! So you can always ride that back and forth over the BFB all night if the Change.org thing doesn’t work out.