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Uber and Lyft launch new shuttle service to Boston's Logan Airport
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It's a daffodil-filled Friday. The Boston Marathon Expo and City Hall Plaza Fan Fest open today, kicking off race weekend. The BAA 5K will also loop through Back Bay on Saturday, while 26.True marathon and half marathon runners take to the streets of Roxbury, Dorchester and Back Bay. Planet Fitness is also offering free entrance today through Sunday at local gyms in honor of the marathon.
But before you pick up your bib or put on your "super shoes," let's get to the news:
H to the O-V: There's a new way to get to Boston's Logan Airport — just in time for April school vacation week in Massachusetts. Uber and Lyft are now running regular shuttles between the airport and neighboring communities, as part of the two companies' compromise deal with Massport last year to avert a big hike in fees on ride-hailing trips to the airport. The new shuttle service, which launched yesterday, will run three fixed routes through Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. Massport CEO Rich Davey said the shuttles are an "affordable" option for riders that also helps "increase HOV travel, ease congestion, and improve efficiency across the airport."
- How affordable? The Uber-run shuttles through Cambridge and Boston will be just $3 one way per person for the first week (through Thursday, April 23), before going up to $10 for "at least the first month," according to a spokesperson. After that, they may go up to $15. Meanwhile, the initial pricing for Lyft's route from Porter Square through Somerville will be $13 to $16 a person, according to a spokesperson. (For comparison, Logan Express bus tickets are $3 roundtrip from Back Bay and $9 roundtrip from its suburban pickup points.) The shuttles also include a tipping option like normal Uber and Lyft rides.
- An extra perk: Similar to the Logan Express' Back Bay bus, riders of the new shuttle will get a "Ticket to Skip" pass that allows them to go directly to the front of the normal TSA security line at Logan.
- How much room is there? Massport says the companies are using 10-15 seat passenger vans and will drop off at Logan terminals. Riders can reserve spots ahead of time via the Uber and Lyft platforms.
Here's a look at the routes and schedule. Click here for specific stops and map:
Lyft Shuttle: Porter-Somerville-Lechmere
- Stops: Porter Square, Cambria Hotel-Somerville, Lechmere, Logan Airport
- Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week
- Frequency: Every 60 minutes
Uber Shuttle: Boston
- Stops: Allston, Boston University, Kenmore Square, North Station, Logan Airport
- Hours: 2 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week
- Frequency: Every 30 minutes
Uber Shuttle: Cambridge
- Stops: Porter Square, Harvard Square, Central Square, MIT, Kendall Square, Logan Airport
- Hours: 2 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week
- Frequency: Every 30 minutes
In other news:
Breaking overnight: Todd Lyons is stepping down as the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The South Boston native has served as acting director of ICE since early in President Trump's second term, after previously overseeing the agency's New England field office. Officials said Lyons plans to join the private sector and his last day with ICE will be May 31.
- Lyons has been at the center of the Trump administration's controversial deportation push, which swept up thousands of people across New England. While officials have said they're targeting "the worst of the worst," the numbers show that nearly half arrested in Massachusetts had no pending criminal charges or convictions; they were marked only for being in the country without legal status.
- In related news: A new NPR analysis shows that worsening wait times on immigration applications is leaving more people vulnerable to deportation.
A BFD for the BFD: For the first time in its nearly 350-year history, the Boston Fire Department will be led by a Black commissioner. Mayor Michelle Wu appointed Rodney Marshall as the city’s new fire commissioner yesterday. A 35-year veteran of the department, Marshall has served as deputy chief since 2022. He's earned recognition for saving several lives during a six-alarm fire in 1998 and rescuing people trapped in a bus in 2013. He also has a pretty cool nickname: "The Ice Man." As he explained to reporters, “I'm usually cool under pressure.” WBUR's Eve Zuckoff has more on his appointment here.
- Marshall replaces retiring BFD commissioner Paul Burke, who said he plans to sleep, travel and spend time with his grandchildren.
P.S.— Boston just enacted a new ordinance that requires food delivery companies to do what? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week's stories.
