The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) along with the City of Boston today announced a two-pronged incentive program that promotes the use of clean fuel vehicles. As part of Massport’s Earth Day celebration at Boston Logan International Airport, Massport unveiled a plan that encourages Logan passengers and Boston taxis to drive to the airport in hybrid, alternative-fuel and alternative-powered vehicles. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino also announced a new $25,000 grant to encourage the purchase of CleanAir cabs in our City.

For those who choose to drive to the airport, Massport is offering a first in the state preferred parking program to customers driving hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles at the airport’s Central garage, Terminal B garage, Terminal E surface lot and economy parking, starting Tuesday, May 1. In total, more than 100 parking spaces at Logan will be dedicated to clean fuel vehicles. Preferred parking for hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles in the Central garage will be located on Level 6 by the elevator banks and pedestrian walkways for each terminal. Preferred parking at the Terminal B garage will be located on the forth level. Signage and green painted parking stalls will mark the spaces.

Further; working closely with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the city’s Hackney Division, Massport, on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, will begin offering head-of-line privileges at the airport’s taxi pool for Boston cabs that qualify as a clean fuel vehicle. Head-of-line privileges amount to more time on the road for taxis to collect fares and less time in the taxi queue, which on average can be a 30-60 minute wait before being dispatched to one of Logan’s four terminals. For Boston cab drivers this means an additional two airport trips per twelve hour shift with an average fare of $25.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced the CleanAir Cab initiative last September when Boston’s first hybrid taxi hit the streets. Since then a dozen more hybrid cabs have been put into service. The $25,000 grant announced today will be awarded to ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability to increase participation in the CleanAir Cab program by offsetting extra costs associated with purchasing a new hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle.

“These programs will help accelerate the replacement of ordinary taxis with hybrid-electric or alternative-fuel cabs and improve the air quality in our neighborhoods,” Mayor Menino said. “CleanAir Cabs are not only good for the environment and public health but also for the cab drivers’ bottom line.”

Massport undertook its incentive program to help promote the use of lower emitting vehicles. Eligibility for the parking program is determined by the federal Clean Fleet Guide that currently lists vehicles using CNG, hybrid electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and ethanol 85 power sources.

“We take our commitment to operate our facilities in an environmentally sound manner very seriously,” said Massport CEO and Executive Director Thomas J. Kinton, Jr. “I’m pleased to join Mayor Menino in the CleanAir Cabs program and happy to extend his plan one step further to promote clean fuel vehicles with our airport customers. Working with the Mayor, we now have the first comprehensive incentive program in Massachusetts promoting hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles. ”

"EPA applauds Massport's effort to promote the use of hybrids and other low-emission vehicles. Protecting our environment is everybody's responsibility, and we are delighted that Massport is doing its part to help reduce emissions and reduce gas consumption," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of the New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Massport is a national leader in embracing environmental initiatives with the first LEED certified airport terminal in the US; the first ISO 14001 airport, container terminal and bridge in the US; and a number of innovative air quality emission reduction programs. Logan’s 33 shuttle buses logged their 10-millionth clean air mile recently and currently, thirty-one percent of all passenger and employee trips to Logan are in High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV), this is second only to the San Francisco International Airport for US airport HOV ridership.

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