Statement to MBTA Transit Riders Oversight Committee (TROC) Concerning Green Airport and Logan Airport Transit Connections
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29 November 2011
Statement to MBTA Transit Riders Oversight Committee (TROC) Concerning Green Airport and Logan Airport Transit Connections
As you will probably hear from the Secretary and the General Manager, on December 6th, MBTA commuter rail service will be extended to Green Airport in Providence. Please take note of this accomplishment – a high capacity public transportation rail just 1500 feet from what will become a major airport terminal for New England. When you get off a comfortable mode of transit, there’s just 1200 feet, enclosed moving skywalk between you and ticketing. I want you to take note of this accomplishment as we compare it to the state of public transportation at our own Logan Airport. The leadership at MassPort has consistently undermined public transportation projects in favor of the more profitable parking garages. When Rhode Island opens a new rail station while MassPort opens the new Economy parking garage, there are significant problems with priorities here.
MassPort’s public transportation priorities
a) Airport station blue line – 1 mile from the airport terminals
b) Silver Line – A bus that stops beyond the ends of the terminals, which was intentional
c) Even the proposed Urban Ring, which APT does not support due to the numerous flaws of this bus oriented transit (BRT) line, allowed only one bus stop in the very back corner of the West parking garage. A transportation project that MassDOT estimated would have carried 184 thousand riders a day and all MassPort was willing to give up is the last parking spot past terminal E.
There is an intentional undermining of the development of high-capacity and fast public transportation to and from Logan Airport, and that has to change. It has to change because Massachusetts is falling behind.
Take a look further south to our neighbors in the NY/NJ region. Newark International airport has a monorail that connects directly from the Northeast Corridor line, used by both Amtrak and NJ Transit, at the Newark Airport station. This monorail travels to all airport terminals as well as key infrastructure including parking garages.
Major US cities on the east coast are making direct connections between airport terminals and major public transportation systems including commuter rail infrastructure and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. Their doing that because that’s what is going to move their economy forward. Why must Boston and Massachusetts continue to fall behind the rest of the East Coast? MassPort needs to step into the ball game and make public transportation a priority.
Rev. Michael Cooper
APT Co-President
