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Massport's Thanksgiving Discount a Huge Success; Over 60,000 use Logan public transportation services during Thanksgiving

12/4/2000

Massport Executive Director and CEO Virginia Buckingham today announced that more than 60,000 people used Logan public transportation services to and from Logan during the recent holiday due to Massport's second annual Thanksgiving discount. The half-price discount on round-trip fares was available for all three Logan Express services, Logan Direct, the Airport Water Shuttle from Rowes Wharf from November 13-27.

"The Thanksgiving discount was successful both in terms of increasing ridership on public transportation, and in preventing a week of gridlock traffic conditions during Logan's peak travel period," said Massport Executive Director and CEO Virginia Buckingham. "We are keeping our commitment to our neighbors to do more to reduce traffic and pollution at and around Logan Airport."

The half-price discount resulted in reduced congestion in parking garages at Logan over Thanksgiving and a dramatic increases in ridership on all of the participating services. Logan Express services surged during the two-week discount promotion. Preliminary Logan Express ridership numbers for the two-week period are:

Braintree: Over 24,000 passengers carried, an increase of 12% over last year;

Framingham: Over 21,000 passengers carried, an increase of 7%;

Woburn: Over 10,000 passengers carried, an increase of 10%;

In addition to Logan Express, thousands more utilized the two additional transportation services that participated in the promotion. The Airport Water Shuttle carried 5,200 passengers. The numbers are not yet available for Logan Direct.

The MBTA carried over 27,000 passengers to Logan the day before Thanksgiving, which is four times the normal daily ridership.

The discount program was offered again this Thanksgiving holiday season because it was so successful last year at reducing congestion on Logan's roadways and in parking garages.

Massport also launched the new Logan DART shuttle service between South Station and Logans terminals on November 15. In just the first two weeks of operation, the DART had carried over 1,500 passengers to and from Logan. The shuttle buses carry passengers every 15 minutes from South Stations Gate 25 to each of Logans five terminals. Using the Ted Williams Tunnel, the buses depart each terminal every 15 minutes, providing convenient service from the airport into the downtown/Financial District area and to services in South Station such as the MBTA Red Line, commuter rail, Amtrak and intercity buses. The buses also pick up at the MBTA bus stop in front of the Stone and Webster building on Summer Street. Fares are $5.00 each way and the service operates Sunday through Friday from 6:00AM 8:00PM.

"We made it easy and inexpensive for people to use public transportation, resulting in significantly fewer people driving to and parking at Logan," said Buckingham. "The incentive program and the new DART service accomplished our goal of getting travelers out of their cars and into high occupancy vehicle transportation. We will continue to develop innovative programs and services that make getting to and from Logan easier for travelers, and reduce the number of cars on local neighborhood streets."