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Logan Express
A Logan Express bus at Terminal E in 2024
ParentMassport
Founded1986
HeadquartersBoston
LocaleGreater Boston, Massachusetts
Service typeAirport shuttle
Routes5
DestinationsLogan International Airport
Stations
  • 4 suburban terminals
  • 2 urban stops
  • 5 airport stops
Annual ridership2,817,190 (2024)[1]
Fuel typeDiesel, compressed natural gas
OperatorMultiple private operators
Websitehttps://www.massport.com/logan-airport/getting-to-logan/logan-express

Logan Express (LEX) is an airport bus shuttle network in Massachusetts, United States, that serves Logan International Airport from the Greater Boston area. The service is operated by private bus companies under contract to the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). It consists of four routes serving suburban park-and-ride terminals in Braintree, Danvers, Framingham, and Woburn, plus an urban route serving the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.

The service began in September 1986 with a route from Quincy Adams station and expanded over the following decades. Framingham service was added later in 1986. Quincy Adams was replaced with a Braintree terminal in 1990. Woburn service began in 1992; Peabody service in 2001, and Back Bay service in 2014. Service from South Station was trialed in 1992–93 and 2000–2001. Surface parking lots at the Framingham terminal were replaced in 2015 with a parking garage, which was expanded in 2025. The Peabody terminal was relocated to Danvers in 2024. Further terminal improvements are planned, including garages at Braintree and "remote terminals" with airport security.

Routes

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The Logan Express system has five routes: four suburban routes plus a route to the Back Bay section of Boston. Each route stops at all terminals. The routes vary in operating hours; most operate from the early morning to late evening with half-hour headways. The Danvers route which has hourly headways, as does the Woburn route on weekend mornings.[2] Logan Express fares are priced below market rate to encourage use of the service rather than on-airport parking.[3] As of 2026, the suburban services are $9–12 one-way, while the Back Bay route is $3 to Logan and free to Back Bay.[2] The suburban routes use motorcoach-style buses with striping colored by route, while the Back Bay route uses Massport-owned transit buses.[4] The suburban routes carried 2.58 million passengers – 1.66 million air passengers and 0.92 million employees – in 2024, while the Back Bay route carried 233,750 total passengers.[1] Logan Express was used by 7.4% of Logan air passengers in a 2024 survey.[5]: 6–31 

Route Terminal(s) Operator Color[2] 2024 ridership[1]
Back Bay Prudential Center, Copley Place Academy Bus Orange 233,750
Braintree Lot near Braintree Split Paul Revere Bus Blue 561,947
Danvers Liberty Tree Mall McGinn Bus Company Purple 148,051
Framingham Garage near Shopper's World Fox Bus Lines Red 685,920
Woburn Anderson Regional Transportation Center Paul Revere Bus Green 500,077

History

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Initial services

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An abandoned bus station in a parking lot
The former Woburn terminal at Mishawum, used from 1993 to 2001

From November 17 to 23, 1985, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) ran free service from Quincy Adams station and Riverside station to the airport.[6] Massport began full-time service on the Quincy Adams route (with a fare required) began on September 29, 1986.[7] Operations were contracted to Plymouth & Brockton.[8] From 1988 to 1990, the service was extended past Quincy Adams to Plymouth via MBTA subsidy.[9]: A.5.4  In 1990, the terminal was moved from Quincy Adams to a parking lot in Braintree near the South Shore Plaza and the Braintree Split.[8][10] Paul Revere Transportation took over operation of the service in 1998.[9]: A.6.6  Massport purchased the Braintree terminal site for $47.1 million in 2014.[11]: 35  The Braintree route was the second-most-used Logan Express route by 2018, with 580,000 annual riders.[12][13] Frequency was increased to every 20 minutes in May 2019.[14]

A route from Shopper's World in Framingham began on November 16, 1986.[15] It was run by Quickway Transport until December 19, 1986, when Peter Pan Bus Lines took over the contract.[16] Fox Bus Lines took over the service in 1993.[8][9]: A.6.2  The initial terminal in the mall's parking lot had limited parking spots and a ten-year lease. In 1990, Massport proposed to move the terminal to a former Trailways bus station off Speen Street in Natick to the east.[17] In 1994, with demolition and replacement of the mall about to begin, Massport proposed a site off Route 30 at Burr Street.[18] Objections from the town, which planned to develop the site as a park, led Massport to consider other locations.[19][20] The terminal temporarily moved to the south side of the mall on October 1, 1994, due to construction.[21] On July 1, 1995, it moved again to a different site on Burr Street.[22] That became the permanent site; a terminal building opened in February 1997.[23]

A route from Mishawum station in Woburn was added on November 16, 1992.[24] An expanded parking lot and terminal building were added in 1993.[25] Originally operated by Peter Pan, the route was taken over by Paul Revere Transportation in November 1995.[8][9]: A.6.6  The Woburn terminal was moved to the new Anderson Regional Transportation Center on April 8, 2001.[26] A route from Peabody, with a terminal on Route 1 near I-95, was added on September 7, 2001.[27][28] McGinn Bus Company was the operator for the service.[9]: A.6.5  It was slow to gain ridership due to the post-September 11 drop in air travel and frequency was halved on November 3, 2001.[28]

Expansions

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A white-and-red bus on a highway
Framingham Logan Expresss bus in 2017

Massport made several attempts to develop bus service between Logan Airport and Downtown Boston. Logan Link van service between South Station and the airport, operated by Paul Revere, began on May 4, 1992. It operated only during weekday peak hours, with schedules timed to connect to MBTA Commuter Rail service.[29][30] Logan Link was discontinued effective July 1, 1993, due to low ridership.[31] Logan Dart service between the South Station Bus Terminal and the airport began on November 14, 2000. It operated Sunday through Friday from 6 am to 8 pm.[32] Originally operated by A&B Coach, it was taken over by Paul Revere in June 2001 and discontinued that November.[8][33] The MBTA began daily Silver Line bus service between South Station and the airport in June 2005.[34]

By 2001, the 350-space lot at Framingham was insufficient; Massport leased additional overflow parking spots in nearby commercial lots to meet demand. In early 2001, Massport received approval to build a four-level, 1,081-space parking garage, but it was not built after the September 11 attacks.[35][36] The plans were revived in the early 2010s as ridership increased.[36] Service temporarily moved to a lot on the Mathworks campus in Natick on June 23, 2014, to allow construction.[37][38] The garage opened on April 16, 2015.[39] The Framingham route was the most-used Logan Express route by 2018, with 740,000 annual riders.[12][13]

On April 28, 2014, the Back Bay route began service as a two-year pilot program during the Government Center station closure. It operated on 20-minute headways, with stops on Boylston Street at Hynes Convention Center and Copley station.[4][40] By 2019, Massport planned to add a route to North Station and an additional suburban route.[41][42][12] On May 1, 2019, the Copley stop was replaced with a stop at Back Bay station on Dartmouth Street. The airport-bound fare was reduced from $7.50 to $3.00 and the Back Bay-bound fare made free; passengers were also given priority at security lines in the airport.[14] By October, these changes had doubled ridership on the Back Bay route.[41] Both Back Bay stops were relocated on February 1, 2020 – the Hynes Convention Center stop a block east to the Prudential Center entrance, and the Back Bay station stop across Dartmouth Street to the Copley Place entrance.[43]

COVID-19 changes and further expansion

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A white-and-orange bus on an urban street
Back Bay Logan Express bus in 2025

Peabody service was suspended on March 18, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Braintree and Back Bay service was reduced to 30-minute headways.[44] Back Bay service was suspended on March 27, with the remaining three routes reduced to hourly service.[45] Woburn service was suspended on January 1, 2021.[46] It resumed on June 1, 2021, along with additional early-morning service from Braintree and Framingham.[47] Woburn, Framingham, and Braintree service all resumed half-hour frequency by mid-2022.[11]: 36  Back Bay service was planned to resume in July 2021; due to a shortage of bus drivers, it did not resume until October 3, 2022, with Academy Bus as the new operator.[48][49][50] Peabody service resumed on February 13, 2022, with a new terminal at the Northshore Mall in Peabody.[51] The terminal moved from Peabody to Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers on August 6, 2024.[52] Suburban ridership reached a record 2.58 million passengers – 1.66 million air passengers and 0.92 million employees – in 2024. Back Bay ridership was 233,750, slightly lower than in 2019.[53][1]

Framingham service temporarily moved to the Natick Mall on January 6, 2025, for construction of three additional floors in the garage. The expanded garage was intended to allow frequency to be increased to every 20 minutes.[54] It opened in November 2025.[55] In September 2025, Massport announced plans to open a "remote terminal" at Framingham where passengers could go through airport security and check bags before boarding buses directly to the air side of the airport. It is planned to open on June 1, 2026; service would be hourly and operate mornings only. If the pilot program is successful, it may be extended to other Logan Express locations.[56]

Several further expansions of parking facilities are planned. As of 2025, parking lot reconfiguration and a permanent building in Danvers are expected to be completed later in the 2020s at a cost of $17 million.[5]: 4–7, 6–27 [57] The existing surface lots and passenger building at Braintree are to be replaced with two seven-story garages with a total of 5,025 spaces, plus a new passenger building with a remote terminal, at a cost of $400 million. As of 2025, the first garage and the passenger building are planned to be built from August 2026 to February 2028, with the second garage built from February 2028 to August 2030.[58] As an interim capacity measure, employee parking was moved from Braintree to a separate lot in Quincy in 2023.[5]: 6–27, B-32 

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Appendix H: Ground Access Supporting Documentation" (PDF). Boston Logan International Airport 2023/2024 Environmental Data Report. Massachusetts Port Authority. October 2025. pp. H-2, H-3.
  2. ^ a b c
  3. ^ Addante, Evelyn; Ricard, Diane. "Implementation of Passenger and Employee Trip-Reduction Strategies at Boston Logan International Airport" (PDF). Transportation Research Circular Number 445: Airports of Tomorrow (PDF). Transportation Research Board. pp. 88–93. ISSN 0097-8515.
  4. ^ a b "Massport Rolls Out Back Bay Logan Express" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. April 2014. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Boston Logan International Airport 2023/2024 Environmental Data Report (PDF). Massachusetts Port Authority. October 2025.
  6. ^ Massport (November 17, 1985). "This week, to park at Logan you'll need to be driving one of these [advertisement]". The Boston Globe. p. 94 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Transportation alternatives to Logan are catching on". The Daily Item. October 18, 1986. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c d e Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Appendix: DPU CPCN Review". Massachusetts Regional Bus Study. Central Transportation Planning Staff. June 2013.
  10. ^ Rosenberg, Ronald (July 9, 1990). "And now, training for concert-goers". The Boston Globe. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "Appendix A: Information Statement of the Authority". $120,925,000 MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY Revenue Bonds, Series 2022-A (AMT) (Green Bonds) (PDF). Massachusetts Port Authority. July 12, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Massport Unveils Overall Transportation Strategy to Reduce Congestion and Double Logan Express Ridership". Massachusetts Port Authority. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Appendix H: Ground Access Supporting Documentation" (PDF). Logan Airport 2022 Environmental Status and Planning Report. Massachusetts Port Authority. May 2024. p. 3–9.
  14. ^ a b "Back Bay Logan Express Moves to New Location with New Customer Perks" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025.
  15. ^ White, Jane B. (November 13, 1986). "Plan aims to reduce holiday traffic at Logan". The Boston Globe. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Peter Pan Bus Company Assumes Logan Express/Framingham Contract". Travelogan. Massachusetts Port Authority. February 1988.
  17. ^ Zuckoff, Michael (March 11, 1990). "Logan Express move worries officials". The Boston Globe. pp. West 1, West 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Moroney, Tom (August 21, 1994). "Dispute over new site snarls Logan Express". The Boston Globe. p. West 1, West 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Anand, Geeta (October 9, 1994). "Massport widens search for new Logan Shuttle site". The Boston Globe. p. West 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Anand, Geeta (October 23, 1994). "Massport revises bid for Logan Shuttle site". The Boston Globe. p. West 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Massport (October 2, 1994). "We don't want you to get lost on your way to the airport [advertisement]". The Boston Globe. p. West 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Massport (June 25, 1995). "We're moving. (Something people who drive themselves to the airport rarely say.) [advertisement]". The Boston Globe. p. West 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Pfeiffer, Sacha (February 16, 1997). "Around the Towns". The Boston Globe. p. West 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Express bus to Logan starts tomorrow". The Boston Globe. November 15, 1992. p. NorthWest 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Bushnell, Davis (February 28, 1993). "Express bus a 'best-kept secret'". Boston Globe. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Woburn Logan Express Service Moves To New Anderson Regional Transportation Center" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. April 3, 2001. Archived from the original on March 23, 2017.
  27. ^ Palmer, Thomas C. Jr. (September 2, 2001). "Aquarium T to open on schedule". The Boston Globe. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ a b McCabe, Kathy (October 28, 2001). "Ripples spread wide from attack". The Boston Globe. p. North Weekly 1, 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Blake, Andrew (March 20, 1992). "Vans to link South Station to airport". The Boston Globe. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Massport's trail of van service to Logan starts". The Boston Globe. May 5, 1992. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Massport ending Logan Link bus". The Boston Globe. June 29, 1993. p. 71 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Bus service begins between South Station Logan Airport". The Boston Globe. November 14, 2000. p. C17 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Palmer, Thomas C. Jr. (October 14, 2001). "Bus service scaled back following cuts". The Boston Globe. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Daniel, Mac (June 2, 2005). "Silver Line brightens trip for airport-bound travelers". The Boston Globe. pp. B1, B6 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Kooker, Naomi R. (March 15, 2001). "For park-and-fly crowd, a promise". The Boston Globe. pp. W1, W5 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ a b Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, LLC (January 2014). Environmental Notification Form: Logan Express Parking Garage: Framingham, Massachusetts (PDF). Massachusetts Port Authority. p. 3.
  37. ^ "Logan Express Framingham Service Advisory". Massachusetts Port Authority. June 23, 2014. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014.
  38. ^ "Temporary Relocation of Logan Express to Natick". Town of Natick Newsletter. Town of Natick, Massachusetts. Summer 2014. p. 2.
  39. ^ "Logan Express Framingham Service Advisory". Massachusetts Port Authority. April 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015.
  40. ^ "Back Bay". Massachusetts Port Authority. April 2014. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014.
  41. ^ a b Acitelli, Tom (July 31, 2019). "Logan Express bus ridership from Back Bay doubles due to fare drops, incentives". Curbed Boston. Archived from the original on August 18, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  42. ^ Vaughn, Alyssa (July 31, 2019). "Massport Has Some Big Plans for Improving Traffic at Logan". Boston. Archived from the original on July 31, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  43. ^ "New Drop Off and Pick Up Locations for Back Bay Logan Express" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. January 31, 2020. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025.
  44. ^ "Massport Reducing Service to Logan Express" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. March 18, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020.
  45. ^ "Massport Adjusting Service to Logan Express" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. March 26, 2020. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020.
  46. ^ "Massport Suspends HOV Service to Woburn in 2021" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. December 2, 2020. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020.
  47. ^ "Massport to Increase HOV Service to Logan Airport" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. May 28, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021.
  48. ^ Chesto, Jon (June 24, 2021). "Massport revs Logan Express back up in bid to reduce car trips to the airport". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.
  49. ^ "Massport to Relaunch Back Bay Logan Express" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. September 21, 2022. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023.
  50. ^ "Massachusetts Port Authority Minutes for the Remote Meeting Held on June 16, 2022 at 9:00 a.m." (PDF). Massachusetts Port Authority. June 2022. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 15, 2022.
  51. ^ "Massport to Resume HOV Service to Peabody with New and Improved Location" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022.
  52. ^ "Massport Plans Upgrades for Two Logan Express Locations" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. July 24, 2024. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024.
  53. ^ "Boston Logan Breaks Passenger Record, Celebrates Year Full of Growth" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. December 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025.
  54. ^ "Massport Begins Upgrades to Framingham Logan Express Location" (Press release). Massachusetts Port Authority. December 9, 2024. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025.
  55. ^ Bunnell, Caroline. "'Low stress, low dollars.' Massport reopens expanded Logan Express in Framingham MA". MetroWest Daily News. Archived from the original on November 15, 2025.
  56. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (September 19, 2025). "Logan Airport will test out a 'remote terminal' next year. Here's how it works". WBUR. Archived from the original on October 2, 2025.
  57. ^
  58. ^
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