Little Relief In Sight For Boston Logan Passengers
<B>Little Relief In Sight For Boston Logan Passengers</B>
By Robert Curley
If you're planning to come into Boston via Logan International Airport, expect things to get worse before they get better: The approval process for a new runway that transportation officials said will ease congestion at the airport is moving slower than rush-hour traffic on the Southeast Expressway, and construction is expected to slice into Logan's already inadequate supply of parking spaces.
Massport officials have been pushing for Federal Aviation Administration approval of an over-water runway that they said will cut chronic delays at Logan by more than 30 percent. The new runway would address delays caused by northeast winds, which currently slow traffic on Logan's existing runways, according to Massport. The proposal, however, has met with fierce resistance from residents of local communities, leading FAA to slow its approval process earlier this year to allow for more citizen input. A community advisory committee, convened in February, is expected to issue its recommendations by year-end. An FAA official recently supported Massport's claim that the proposed new runway would not increase capacity at Logan, but no agreement is yet in sight.
"Where once there was no process when the runway was first proposed in 1970, now the process never ends," said Massport executive director and CEO Virginia Buckingham.
Massport officials said that frequent travelers strongly support the new runway, pointing to the strong response to a recent mailing on the topic. The New England Business Travel Association also has endorsed the runway plan. Of course, as many Boston business travelers know, getting off the ground at Logan is only half the battle; traffic congestion in and around the airport is legendary.
To help ease ground traffic, Massport recently launched a new shuttle bus service between Logan and downtown Boston. The buses depart South Station every 15 minutes and stop at Summer Street (in the financial district) before proceeding via the Ted Williams Tunnel to Logan. From South Station, travelers can access the MBTA's Red Line trains and commuter rail service to the Route 128 corridor and elsewhere. One-way fare is $5.
The shuttle service eventually will be replaced by buses that will use a dedicated tunnel from downtown to the airport and make the trip in about 10 minutes. However, the tunnel is part of the Big Dig project and not expected to open until at least 2003.
Other alternatives to driving to Logan is the Airport Water Shuttle, which leaves every 15 minutes from Rowes Wharf, the Harbor Express boats that link the airport and Quincy, Mass., and the on-call City Water Taxi service.
For those who must drive, the biggest challenge may be finding parking at the airport. This fall, drivers will find about 3,000 fewer parking spaces available at Logan than existed two years ago, thanks to ongoing airport construction. The Boston Business Journal in September reported that the parking lots at Logan typically are full on peak, midweek travel days by 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.
Meanwhile, mirroring a trend up and down the East Coast, Amtrak is becoming an increasingly visible player in the business travel market in Boston. The railroad is ramping up its Acela passenger service in the Northeast Corridor, and recently announced plans to begin daily service between Boston and Portland, Maine, perhaps as soon as January. Amtrak's high-speed Acela Express trains, repeatedly delayed over the past year, may finally be going into service, as well. Railroad officials earlier this month said the 150-mile-per-hour trains will debut Dec. 11. One-way coach tickets for the three-hour trip between Boston and New York are expected to cost $120. Amtrak also recently opened a first-class business lounge in Boston's South Station.
This summer, Massachusetts and Rhode Island officials firmed up plans to expand Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority commuter rail service to Providence, R.I., and T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I.--the latter a popular alternative to congested Logan, and a major player in Massport's airport regionalization project. In August, officials announced that MBTA trains will make eight daily trips to Providence's downtown train station.
Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is proceeding with plans to build a new train station at T.F. Green to accommodate the MBTA and other commuter rail service. The new facility will be part of Warwick's new Station District--a planned downtown for the Providence suburb that will include a full service, 200-room hotel, office space and entertainment venues.
As part of its regionalization plan--which seeks to shift passengers away from Logan to other regional airports--Massport also is spending $1.4 million to modernize the passenger facilities at Hanscom Field. The money will be spent on improved waiting-room seating, bathrooms and handicap access at the 1950s-era airport, as well as to repave the parking lot. Shuttle America recently inaugurated commercial service at Hanscom, with flights to Trenton, N.J., Buffalo, N.Y., and Greensboro, N.C.
Massport's strategy appears to be paying some dividends: By mid-August, for example, total passengers departing from Worcester had exceeded the totals for all of 1999. On the other hand, Logan continues to handle a record number of passengers, 27 million in 1999 alone, and the upward trend is expected to continue.