Getting home from the airport may have just gotten easier — Massport recently announced a partnership with Lyft to allow the rideshare service to pick up passengers at Logan International Aiport. Drivers who have cleared the state’s new mandatory background checks can pick up rides at the airport beginning Feb. 1, 2017, according to Massport. “As we continue to implement legislation that includes the nation’s strongest background check system, the agreement announced today with Massport will expand the safe and diverse transportation options available to those travelers using Boston Logan International Airport,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. Similar agreements with other Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) are in the works as well; a spokesperson for Uber said that company is planning to be operating at the airport by Feb. 1 also.
RELATED:What you need to know about the new Uber and Lyft background checks Massport rules require that TNC vehicles at Logan must be licensed as livery vehicles. Uber has been able to offer its Uber Black and limited Uber X services at Logan as long as those drivers have a Massport Certification and livery license plates — which aren’t required for Uber drivers anywhere else in the state, a spokesperson explained. Lyft was previously picking up passengers at Logan even though the practice was not technically allowed and drivers faced fines for violating Massport rules. The app had stopped allowing users to request rides from the airport last May. But now, all Lyft services (Lyft, Lyft Plus and Lyft Access) will be allowed to operate at Logan without having livery plates. The ride-hailing vehicles will even have their own designated pickup area. There’s limited curbside space at the airport, so taxis and limos have parking lots, or pools, where they wait before pulling up to greet a passenger. TNCs like Lyft will have a similar holding area as well, Massport said. RELATED:Mass. lawmakers pass new regulations on Uber and Lyft “This is something our customers requested and we’re glad to provide it as we ensure appropriate checks are in place,” Thomas P. Glynn, Massport CEO, said in a statement. “Massport staff has been working to design, produce and install wayfinding materials and train our customer service staff to assist passengers looking to utilize our newest ground transportation option.” When someone requests a Lyft ride at the airport through the app, the driver will leave the pool area and meet the passenger at their terminal. There will be a $3.25 fee for pickups on every ride out of Logan—the same applied to traditional livery vehicles like taxis and limos. Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin said that they “applaud Massport’s decision.” An Uber spokesperson said that the move “is great news for the thousands of Uber driver partners and riders across the Commonwealth.”
You can soon pick up a Lyft at Logan airport
![You can soon pick up a Lyft at Logan airport](https://www.metro.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Lyft_PressKit_01_2.jpeg?w=858)
Courtesy of Lyft