Massachusetts Port Authority

Massachusetts Port Authority, or Massport, is a port authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, public terminals in the Port of Boston, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport. Massport is a financially self-sustaining public authority whose transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion annually, and enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in New England. No state tax dollars are used to fund operations or capital improvements at Massport facilities. Its headquarters is located in the Logan Office Center, adjacent to Logan Airport in East Boston, Boston.^[1]

Massport facilities

Airports

• Boston Logan International Airport
• L.G. Hanscom Field
• Worcester Regional Airport – Formerly owned by the city of Worcester until ownership transfer to Massport was mandated by law in 2009,^[2] and subsequently completed on June 22, 2010.^[3]

Seaports and maritime facilities

The Port of Boston includes Cruiseport Boston and facilities in the Boston Marine Industrial Park in South Boston, and others in East Boston and Charlestown:^[4]

• Black Falcon Cruise Terminal (a.k.a. Cruiseport Boston), One Black Falcon Avenue, South Boston
• Paul W. Conley Terminal, First & Farragut Road, South Boston - Container port
• Boston Autoport, Charlestown - Automobile shipping, leased to private operator.
• The Boston Fish Pier, South Boston - Seafood processing, acquired in 1972.
• Mystic Piers 48,49 and 50, Charlestown - Used for bulk storage and shipping of salt since the 1980s
• Medford Street Terminal, Charlestown - Dock, office, and warehouse areas, purchased in 1986 from Revere Sugar Refinery and Somerville Lumber.
• East Boston Shipyard and Marina - Marginal Street, East Boston - Former Navy and Bethlehem Steel site, equipped for ship repair.
• Massport Marine Terminal (MMT)/North Jetty, South Boston - Used for Big Dig staging, berths now available. Being developed for seafood processing.
• Fargo Street Terminal, South Boston - Storage and support activities
• International Cargo Terminal, 88 Black Falcon Avenue, South Boston - Warehouses and office space

Transportation services

Massport Shuttle

The Massport Shuttle bus connects all terminals at Boston Logan International Airport to Airport Station on the MBTA Blue Line, as well as the water taxi dock on Harborside Drive.^[5]

• 11 serves all the terminals. (operates from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm)
• 22 serves terminals A, B and the Blue Line station. (operates from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm)
• 33 serves terminals C, E and the Blue Line station. (operates from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm)
• 55 serves all terminals and the Blue Line station. (operates from 4:00 am to 7:00 am, 10:00 pm to 1:00 am)
• 66 serves all terminals,South Cargo Area and water taxi dock. (operates from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm)
• 88 serves all terminals and the economy parking lot. (24 hour service)

Logan Express

Massport also operates Logan Express bus service between all terminals and park-and-ride lots in Braintree (near South Shore Plaza), Framingham (Shopper's World), Woburn (Anderson Regional Transportation Center), and Peabody (164 Newbury Street).^[6]

Silver Line

Massport provides financial assistance to the MBTA for operation of the Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit service to Logan terminals from downtown Boston, and contributes to the maintenance of Airport Station and ventilation of the Ted Williams Tunnel.^[7]

Other services

By state law, municipal police (such as the Boston Police Department) do not have jurisdiction on Massport property.^[8] Police protection is provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Massport Police. Massport Fire Rescue provides fire protection on agency property.^[9]

History

The independent Massachusetts Port Authority was created in 1956 to replace the locally controlled port commission. In 1966, Castle Island Container Terminal was constructed for Sea-Land Corporation, one of the first intermodal container facilities. In 1971, Massport constructed a second container port in Charlestown for the use of other shipping companies. In 1980, Sea-Land ended its exclusive lease, and the first container port was enlarged and made available for other shipping companies.^[10]

On January 1, 2010, the Tobin Bridge was transferred from Massport to the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

References

1. ^ "About Massport: Who We Are: Contact Info." Massachusetts Port Authority. Retrieved on January 22, 2010.
2. ^ Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2009. Section 148.
3. ^ Massport (June 22, 2010) "Massport, Worcester Airport Deal Completed" Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MASSDOT) http://transportation.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2010/06/massport-worcester-airport-deal-completed.html. Retrieved June 26 2010 
4. ^ http://www.massport.com/ports/
5. ^ http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_logans.html
6. ^ http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_logan.html
7. ^ http://www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/90_DayReport/Appendix10_3.PDF
8. ^ http://wbztv.com/specialreports/boston.police.power.2.783223.html
9. ^ http://www.massport.com/logan-airport/about-logan/Public%20Safety/PublicSafety.aspx
10. ^ http://www.massport.com/ports/about_histo.html

External links

• Massport official website