BOSTON — Eliminating late-night weekend T service might have a disproportionate effect on low-income and minority riders, a Massachussetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) official said Tuesday, Boston.com reported.

The MBTA is leaning toward cutting late-night service, which keeps trains and some buses running about 90 minutes later on early weekend mornings at a cost of $14 million per year, as it seeks to plug a budget gap of $242 million next year, the report said.

MBTA Assistant GM Charles Planck said that if the equity analysis — required by federal law — shows the change would have a greater impact on low-income or minority riders than other parts of the population, the T must consider — though it would not necessarily need to implement — lower-cost alternatives to the existing service before cutting it, according to Boston.com.

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