Inspired by the social atmosphere aboard the double-decker red buses toting club goers home in London, Ryan Kaplan sought to bring this nocturnal sense of camaraderie to Boston. Kaplan, along with fellow Boston University graduates Jonathon Castillo and Eric Pasinski, all 22, founded Boston Nightlight Express, a late night bus company aimed to give college students an affordable alternative to traditional Boston transportation.
Once the T shuts down around 12:30 a.m., the party vibe found in nightclubs diminishes as small groups claim cabs home. Kaplan and his co-founders hope to capitalize on people looking to keep the party going a little longer.
Once the T shuts down around 12:30 a.m., the party vibe found in nightclubs diminishes as small groups claim cabs home. Kaplan and his co-founders hope to capitalize on people looking to keep the party going a little longer.
“I was very active going out downtown during my last two years at B.U.,” says Kaplan. “You’d have these amazing nights then it comes to an abrupt stop when you have to wait an hour in the cold for a cab.”
Kaplan is referring to the 2 a.m. rush when clubs close and swarms of people scout for the fastest means home. Rather than wait upwards of an hour for a taxi, Boston Nightlife Express’s mission is simple: reserve a seat on a warm bus and meet new people on the ride.
Currently, B.N.E.’s core audience is college students, specifically those that attend B.U. A ride on the bus costs $5 each way and currently only picks up on and around B.U.’s campus to bring students to a club, and vice versa. Tickets can be reserved online ahead of time or bought in-person just before the ride.
The co-founders have worked with promoters in Boston to secure special deals for their customers, which often include skipping the line and cover charge at a specific venue.
B.N.E. launched on the Friday before Halloween this year. In a memorable weekend filled with freezing temperatures, wet snow, and tiny costumes, the promise of an affordable, heated bus drew in enough students to make their successful venture in its debut. The 55-seat coach bus had a 30 percent occupancy rate in its inaugural journey, and by its second weekend ridership doubled.
The idea for B.N.E. grew out of Kaplan’s core entrepreneurship class in B.U.’s School of Management. He worked with classmates to develop a business plan, and then recruited friends to bring it to life.
Though the concept of a late night bus was not new to this class, Erik Molander, a lecturer in S.M.G., says it was the co-founders’ reliability to the idea that allowed it to take off.
“It’s not a bunch of sketchy guys with a bus – it’s students just like you who saw a need and addressed it,” says Molander.
Though party buses in Boston are not currently regulated by the city’s Department of Transportation, B.N.E.’s bus supplier, Crystal Transport, follows strict safety standards. Kevin Sheehan, the general manager of Crystal Transport, says his drivers and vehicles meetrequirements from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as the transportation division of Massachusetts’s Department of Telecommunications and Energy. He adds that the 60 drivers employed by Crystal Transport receive random drug tests and must pass state-mandated tests to obtain a commercial drivers license.
Party buses are fad across the U.S., but so far B.N.E.’s founders claim to have carved out a new niche audience. In Boston, party buses typically operate for special occasions and are rented out in full. The founders of B.N.E. say what sets their service apart is its low cost.
“Boston is an extremely expensive town for college kids,” says Eric Pasinski, 22, one of B.N.E.’s co-founders. “We would love for others to have as much fun possible but not go into debt over it.”
Plans to make B.N.E. a more central part of college students’ experiences are underway. The founders say they plan to extend their late night service to outer lying colleges like Boston College, Babson College, and Bentley University. Eventually, they want to expand their service to daytime expeditions for customers of all ages.
An alternative to taxis will likely appeal to Boston College students, says B.C. junior Ben Chipkin.
“I think the T hours cause B.C. students to venture downtown less frequently than we would like,” says Chipkin, 19. “An inexpensive bus taking B.C. students downtown to bars, clubs, and other events would be a welcomed improvement.”
Steve Sullivan, the general manager of Boston’s Metro Cab, says a venture like B.N.E. is likely to appeal to college students, but doesn’t expect it to have a great effect on his business.
“If they have an option, most people would rather take a cab and have their own privacy,” he says.
But some students disagree. Myles Lambert, a senior at B.U., says he was initially drawn to B.N.E. because he had such difficultly finding a cab at the end of the night.
“If you were going to split a cab fare with three others then the B.N.E. bus turns out to be about the same price as a cab, but it’s much more fun,” says Lambert, 21.
Lambert credits the bus’s party environment – filled with upbeat music, free water, and the chance to meet new people – with making the ride enjoyable.
Like his fellow co-founders, Pasinski, says being part of Boston Nightlife Express’s team has been about more than just profits.
“To have a party bus as a business and create a party atmosphere for other people – that’s what I’m all about,” he says.
Kaplan is referring to the 2 a.m. rush when clubs close and swarms of people scout for the fastest means home. Rather than wait upwards of an hour for a taxi, Boston Nightlife Express’s mission is simple: reserve a seat on a warm bus and meet new people on the ride.
Currently, B.N.E.’s core audience is college students, specifically those that attend B.U. A ride on the bus costs $5 each way and currently only picks up on and around B.U.’s campus to bring students to a club, and vice versa. Tickets can be reserved online ahead of time or bought in-person just before the ride.
The co-founders have worked with promoters in Boston to secure special deals for their customers, which often include skipping the line and cover charge at a specific venue.
B.N.E. launched on the Friday before Halloween this year. In a memorable weekend filled with freezing temperatures, wet snow, and tiny costumes, the promise of an affordable, heated bus drew in enough students to make their successful venture in its debut. The 55-seat coach bus had a 30 percent occupancy rate in its inaugural journey, and by its second weekend ridership doubled.
The idea for B.N.E. grew out of Kaplan’s core entrepreneurship class in B.U.’s School of Management. He worked with classmates to develop a business plan, and then recruited friends to bring it to life.
Though the concept of a late night bus was not new to this class, Erik Molander, a lecturer in S.M.G., says it was the co-founders’ reliability to the idea that allowed it to take off.
“It’s not a bunch of sketchy guys with a bus – it’s students just like you who saw a need and addressed it,” says Molander.
Though party buses in Boston are not currently regulated by the city’s Department of Transportation, B.N.E.’s bus supplier, Crystal Transport, follows strict safety standards. Kevin Sheehan, the general manager of Crystal Transport, says his drivers and vehicles meetrequirements from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as the transportation division of Massachusetts’s Department of Telecommunications and Energy. He adds that the 60 drivers employed by Crystal Transport receive random drug tests and must pass state-mandated tests to obtain a commercial drivers license.
Party buses are fad across the U.S., but so far B.N.E.’s founders claim to have carved out a new niche audience. In Boston, party buses typically operate for special occasions and are rented out in full. The founders of B.N.E. say what sets their service apart is its low cost.
“Boston is an extremely expensive town for college kids,” says Eric Pasinski, 22, one of B.N.E.’s co-founders. “We would love for others to have as much fun possible but not go into debt over it.”
Plans to make B.N.E. a more central part of college students’ experiences are underway. The founders say they plan to extend their late night service to outer lying colleges like Boston College, Babson College, and Bentley University. Eventually, they want to expand their service to daytime expeditions for customers of all ages.
An alternative to taxis will likely appeal to Boston College students, says B.C. junior Ben Chipkin.
“I think the T hours cause B.C. students to venture downtown less frequently than we would like,” says Chipkin, 19. “An inexpensive bus taking B.C. students downtown to bars, clubs, and other events would be a welcomed improvement.”
Steve Sullivan, the general manager of Boston’s Metro Cab, says a venture like B.N.E. is likely to appeal to college students, but doesn’t expect it to have a great effect on his business.
“If they have an option, most people would rather take a cab and have their own privacy,” he says.
But some students disagree. Myles Lambert, a senior at B.U., says he was initially drawn to B.N.E. because he had such difficultly finding a cab at the end of the night.
“If you were going to split a cab fare with three others then the B.N.E. bus turns out to be about the same price as a cab, but it’s much more fun,” says Lambert, 21.
Lambert credits the bus’s party environment – filled with upbeat music, free water, and the chance to meet new people – with making the ride enjoyable.
Like his fellow co-founders, Pasinski, says being part of Boston Nightlife Express’s team has been about more than just profits.
“To have a party bus as a business and create a party atmosphere for other people – that’s what I’m all about,” he says.
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