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Yes, you can bicycle to Logan Airport
By adamg on Mon, 06/27/2016 - 12:37pm
Here's how, although, yes, the author is that guy who brings his bike on the Blue Line at rush hour.
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Comments
Ya because
biking to the airport with a luggage bag seem SOOOOOO practical.
Captain Obvious
There are other reasons to go to the airport, you know.
Anyway, I have a bike which fits in a bag. Many times I've ridden the bike to/from an airport and packed the bike when I got where I was going. My other bag was a large backpack.
Read the Article
This family runs a bike touring website and travel with a young child all the time.
One point they make is to leave all of the unnecessary crap at home.
I travel with a folding bike and bags all the time. You can fit a lot in a pannier.
Driving around a 2 ton motor
Driving around a 2 ton motor vehicle in a city designed in the 1600s seems sooo practical.
Folding Bikes
If you have a folding bike and it's folded there's no problem taking it on any MBTA vehicle.
Why does the author forget about the Logan Ferry? That's the quickest way with a bike if you're already downtown. And full sized bikes are allowed at all times.
Riding through Chelsea isn't too bad even during rush hour. It's annoying to need to take the "long" way around but I've done it before without incident.
Chelsea amenities
I hear that the King Arthur Lounge in Chelsea has added bicycle parking...
Folding bikes (when folded
Folding bikes (when folded per the MBTA rules) count as luggage. Some MBTA employees don't seem to know that!
The Boston Cyclists' Union
The Boston Cyclists' Union just responded to this post with a more comprehensive guide that includes the "overland" route (through Everett and Chelsea, surprisingly not as treacherous or as long as you might think) and they also have a very good guide to where you can park at the airport including places with restricted access/security cameras.
http://bostoncyclistsunion.org/commuting/biking-to-logan-airport-the-def...
If we were able to start over with train tracks.....
We should be able to put bike paths right along side of them, maybe even if they had to be underground. This would pretty much solve the entire problem of biking in the city.
I wonder how long it would take to bike from Franklin to South Station along a nice smooth path next to the train tracks?
Really?
I mean, maybe I fail to see the sarcasm in this post but is this not why we build bridges for cars? Y'know those big scary four wheel things made my toyota? Does the sales tax on your $2000 bike go to fund that? Or should we all have to foot the bill for that as well?
Huh?
Do we need more bridges somewhere? And you're aware that most cyclists own and drive cars, right?
Maybe we should use the money for education so we don't end up with "those big scary four wheel things made my toyota" or other robot horror movie scripts.
Can we stop
Can we stop saying "most cyclists own and drive cars," please? I've never seen stats to back that up. And anyway, who cares if we do or don't own/drive cars? The bigger argument is that roads are majorly subsidized by the state and federal governments as taxes, licensing, and tolls do not even begin to cover the cost of roads.
Bike lanes/paths are cheaper than roads - smaller, cleaner, more efficient, less wear and tear.
The "I bike, but I drive too!" plea is pathetic. Just stop.
You want stats?
Here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2009/dl1c.cfm
According to the USDOT 86.7% of adults in MA have drivers licenses, and by definition, drive sometimes. So if you see an adult on a bike there is roughly a 90% chance that person also is a driver.
The reason why it's important is that people like to pretend drivers and cyclists are two entirely separate species and/or cyclists somehow aren't "paying for the road" like drivers. This argument is patently wrong.
Well
I don't drive, and lateral aggression is clearly a thing.
You could start by paying the full cost of your car
Then we can talk, considering cyclists pay property and income taxes that make up that 40% that you get for free.
Tens of thousands of
Tens of thousands of Bostonians pay property taxes but don't hog resources like you do. Pay up, freeloader.
Yes, sales tax on any item in
Yes, sales tax on any item in MA goes towards funding infrastructure. Sales tax revenue goes into the state general fund which in turn is used for a wide variety of projects. Including roads, bridges, bike lanes, etc.
#themoreyouknow
Question:
I heard that the Blue Line was the one line where the "no bikes at rush hour" rule was NOT in effect. Is this still true?
I believe this was due to it being less crowded than other lines, the lack of other connection options, and the need for worker access back and forth.
It's Restricted By Direction, And For Less Time Than Other Lines
During morning rush hour, bikes are not allowed on inbound Blue Line Trains — during afternoon rush hour, bikes are not allowed on outbound trains. The restricted hours are also less on the Blue Line, with the morning restriction lifting at 9:00 AM, and the evening restriction lifting at 6:00 PM.
( The Red and Orange lines prohibit bikes in both directions from 7-10 AM and from 4-7 PM. )
Thanks
Got it, thanks for clarifying. And RE crowding -- I wondered that myself, but heard that was part of the reason for the bikes exception. Makes sense if they are only allowed for the reverse commute.
What Elmer said
plus, the Blue Line not being as crowded is a huge myth. It's not uncommon to have to wait for multiple trains at peak in the AM at Maverick or even Airport, and I'd argue that it may actually be more crowded than some other lines during rush hour now that we're a "hot" neighborhood and students aren't afraid to come over anymore, on top of North Shore commuters.
Really tho
You're a cheap neighborhood and they don't have much of a choice.
Not that cheap
anymore, sadly. And who doesn't have much of a choice of what?
Yes it is
Try living in Somerville or Allston, where you're lucky to find a cardboard box for less than $1500/mo.
The students do not have a choice.
try
Try living in East Boston after the next decade's wave of owners selling. It's still cheap because there are still lots of owners with little to no debt on their properties. New owners mean higher amounts of debt and higher rents to offset it. Take a look at Redfin listings some time: lots of the housing stock in EB has well below market rents. The average rents on units are a bit misleading due to this.
And where it will really spike when you have more and more non owner-occupied buildings that are simply big chunks of passive income for the new owner with no regard whatsoever for the makeup of the community. I lived in a crappy 2BD with an extra basement room that cost $1400 not too long ago that the new owner is marketing as a 3BD (illegally) for $2700. The place hasn't been updated since the Carter administration.
It really isn't as cheap as you think
When I moved at the end of last summer after 4 years in an unbelievable apartment at an unheard of price, I looked all over the city, and there really wasn't that much of a difference anymore–I ended up staying in Eastie because it felt like home, not because of price. A lot of the stuff getting posted to the Eastie FB groups is all $2k+ now as well.
And the students will be living in Revere soon enough, because they end up being one of the driving forces behind rent.
When I Bring A Bike On The Blue Line ...
... I prefer to go to the end of the car, where there is a place with no seats. Slid into this area, the bike takes up as little room as possible, and is out of the way of other passengers. I'll be standing next to the bike, so the single seat behind it is still available for someone else to use.
Of course, if a passenger in a wheelchair came along and wanted to be in that space, I'd gladly get out of the way or even get off the train if necessary to accommodate them.
You could fit 4 bikes into
You could fit 4 bikes into that space vertically if the MBTA installed hoooks for them.
Hmmm... That Might Work Instead Of Strollers
Hooks for children, so they don't have to sit on parents' laps.
And ya know how that would look?
I'll let you say it...
Something Like This Perhaps? — But With Multiple Beaks
Who said the Blue Line is less crowded?
Anyone who says the Blue Line is less crowded than other lines last rode it in 1975. Not only is it packed to the gills at rush hour (having to let a full train or two go by before finally boarding one is not uncommon), but after evening rush hour to closing the Blue Line outbound remains relentlessly packed.
Nor does it lack connection options. State Street connects to the Red and Orange lines, and Government Center (now that it is reopened) connects to the Green.
Crowded At Times, Yes — But Less Crowded Than Other Lines
Not only are the Red Line and the Orange Line more crowded, in comparison to the Blue Line they smell really bad.
While Government Center was closed, I became accustomed to connecting from the Blue Line to the Red Line by walking the few blocks down Cambridge Street between Bowdoin and Charles/MGH Stations. Now that Scollay Under in open again, unless it's pouring rain outside, I still find it preferable to use Cambridge street.
Not involving the Green or Orange Lines to make the transfer, eliminates their hassle, and it often saves time. There's also the advantage of starting with a completely empty train at Bowdoin for the outbound trip.
Speaking of Bowdoin Station...
...for the life of me I cannot figure out why Bowdoin is such an underutilized station. It's like the Symphony Station of the Blue Line. So underutilized that it was shut down nights and weekends for years and years before the Govt. Center renovation. The MBTA claims it will remain open nights and weekends now, but I suspect that won't last. It's right in the middle of so many things. Mass General, government buildings, Suffolk University, proximity to Charles St, proximity to Boston Garden, to Beacon Hill. It's like a mystery station.
Bowdoin is useful only if your trip starts and ends on Blue Line
Otherwise, it's much too short a walk from Government Center and State to be worth a transfer to/from the Green or Orange Line..
Bowdoin is Underutilized Because...
...unless you're coming from/going to another station on the Blue Line, you'll have to change trains at either State Street or Government Center. And it's so close to Government Center that chances are (unless you have limited mobility) it would be faster to walk to or from Bowdoin than to wait for a Blue Line train to travel the one stop.
It's akin to why, if you need to change between the Green (southern/western section) & Orange Lines, your best bet is to use the underground concourse between Park St. and Downtown Crossing rather than wait for a Red Line train to go the one stop.
The problem with Symphony (as well as Prudential) is that both are only served by the E branch and the service is pretty infrequent. Symphony is two blocks from Mass. Ave. on the Orange Line and those trains are more frequent at most time of the day. It's also a 5-10 minute walk from
UrinariumHynes which sees three times as many trains.And if you have limited mobility, you don't want to use Bowdoin
because it has no elevator. I don't think it even has an escalator.
I wonder if Hubway could install a bike station in Logan
If they're going to be installing bike stations in East Boston, ( http://www.universalhub.com/2016/east-boston-getting-hubway-bike-station... ) this might be a route Hubway could build stations around. Plus you don't have to worry about getting your bike to East Boston. Even if this isn't really practical for most travellers, maybe they could serve the Hyatt Regency and people who work out there.
I have absolutely seen MBTA
I have absolutely seen MBTA CSAs kick people off rush hour Blue Line trains with bikes, specifically during the evening peak at State. It got quite heated one time a couple weeks ago. The CSA threatened to hold the train until the guy with the bike got off and the guy with the bike didn't understand English very well (I think he was living here temporarily or something). The CSA went as far as making the guy leave the station, telling him not to come back until after 6. Dunno if he went to a different stop and tried it.
ugh
"One time we boarded outbound during rush hour at 5 pm and nobody said anything."
Please do not do this. I don't take the Blue Line at rush hour anymore, but this is just incredibly rude to those who take the train each day. Perhaps they (MBTA workers) didn't say anything because they didn't think it worth wasting a few minutes of everyone's time getting you off the train. If you do get kicked off after making it into a train car, rather than just taking up the space of three or four commuters (and often blocking a door on the train), every person on the train is going to have their commute lengthened because you decided to flout the rules. Do it all you want against traffic during rush hour, but bikes and Megastrollers make it a shitty ride.
And some nitpicks: they got the cost of the water taxi wrong. The instructions claim the Greenway starts at the Lewis Mall. It does not. You still have to go around the corner via Lewis/Marginal Street and enter the Greenway there. I can imagine people who don't know the area could get lost without that detail.
I don't disagree
But what about people with huge strollers? (Which they always leave right by the door.) What about people with baggage that takes up 1/2 dozen seats?
I don't see why bike riders need to be called out. Why not say no large packages or objects apart from those medically needed such as wheelchairs? Not only would that be more fair, it would address the space issue which is why bikes are banned.
re-read
Re-read what I typed. ;) I actually made a point to not just point out the bicyclists.
Thanks
It's more of the MBTA I was talking about.
oh
Oh, fair enough. I think the stroller thing is kind of hard to sell. There will be plenty of Momzillas raising a fuss if their Sherman tank strollers were ever banned from the train during rush hour.
Until When? — Sooner Or Later, There'll Be A Tipping Point
Will it be when someone falls into the path of an oncoming train due to platform overcrowding caused by barricading strollers?
Will it be after people are killed in a stampede trying to get off a bus in an emergency, because large strollers were obstructing all the exits?
How many deaths will occur before some semblance of common sense is applied to the use of needlessly oversized strollers in crowded public spaces?
Zero
Zero deaths.
Some bikers.....
Seriously we're equating strollers with bikes?
New MBTA rules:
"You are not allowed to bring your infant or toddler in a stroller on the T during rush hour, they must be carried by hand or in a papoose. If you are a single mother/father with more than one child, well good luck!"
Also, this is the Blue line we're talking about - it's sole purpose is basically to go to the airport. A no luggage rule during rush hour would not really work very well.
So?
Why is someone taking their bike to/from work less import then someone taking their luggage to the airport or taking their kid to/from the beach?
Either ban all big items or cut the shit and let people with bikes have the same right to use the train as anyone else.
What an entitled comment
"Also, this is the Blue line we're talking about - it's sole purpose is basically to go to the airport. "
What an entitled comment. I am an East Boston resident who has commuted to work via Blue Line for many years. And I do not work at the airport. So, if it's sole purpose is to get people to the airport I am the lone exception.
exaggeration
I also have lived on the blue line and taken it to work for years. The point is that it is the only subway line that runs to the airport. Banning luggage, no matter the size and timing, would not be logical.
Apparently
you haven't heard of the Red to Silver lines to the Airport. No, it's not the 'subway' per se, but it's public transport and has specially designed spots for people to put their luggage.
You can also take Harbor Express ferries. And then Massport provides free shuttles from said public transport stops
Oh because its soooo harrrd?
I did this for years with two kids two years apart. It wasn't a big deal.
The MBTA used to ban unfolded strollers AND they used to enforce it.
How horrible that parents had to plan ahead to transport kids.
I carried one and the folded stroller (if I had one), taking the hand of the older kid. Or I had one kid in a backpack taking up no more room than they would on the floor (where some dumbass would step on them) and the other walking.
My world didn't end and I didn't collapse under the horrifying load of twenty pounds of child, and I didn't block an exit or take up fifty spots that others could use and justify it with 50 lbs of children.
You stroller apologists make it sound like any and every parent is disabled by parenthood. If you can't carry your kids (and you do not have a physical disability), maybe consider getting in better shape? Riding a bike, maybe?
If you do it at peak, please ride from Aquarium to Maverick only
If you just ride the Blue Line between these two adjacent stations with your bike, it should not cause major problems, even at the height of rush hour.
THAT guy
That guy and his obnoxious wife are constantly advocating for slow ass family oriented dutch style biking in the city and refuse to admit that their back-asswards ideas have no relevance in America and are in fact obstructions to normal cyclists and auto traffic.
I don't often wish ill on people
But I will wish ill on you for referring to two very nice people in the way that you did.
Kindly go die in a hole.
Slow ass Dutch biking???
You have very obviously NEVER ridden in the Netherlands.
Or ridden with the Ramie family.
Pro Tip: don't run your idiot fixie mouth about things that you know nothing about.
People Like This Give All Bicyclists A Bad Name
Their attitude of "I don't care about the rules" breeds resentment that other people subsequently take out on all bikers — the vast majority of whom are courteous and law abiding.
Well said
Whenever I see some idiot, self serving asshole do something dumb on a bike I always want to go and apologize to those around the moron. Then again, since no one has ever apologized for asshole, self-serving car and truck drivers I don't think I should go first. Still, screw people who care nothing about others.
The rules aren't clear
That's the problem. Also, the fact that people are pretty much forced to take the train AND gigantic pieces of luggage are freely accommodated make this doubly stupid.
If proper hooks are installed, bikes take up nearly zero room - like they do in PDX on the trains. They hang by their front wheels.
The rules aren't clear?
The rules aren't clear?
Seems pretty clear to me.
Sure. Why not.
Another "rules do not apply to me" moron.
Nothing to do with "them" being "lax". If you bike is not folded, it should not be on any T line during rush hour.
I hope
You've never exceeded the speed limit.
You don't have to take the
You don't have to take the Blue Line.
You can take the bridge in Charlestown/Everett and ride up Beacham Street. You will see all of the empty cabs coming back that way to avid paying the tunnel toll without a fare. The you go under the Tobin Bridge, into the airport and park at Terminal A.
I use my panniers as luggage. They fit in the overhead and they have a handle to carry them like a bag.
Upon return, I walk off the panel, out to my bike, and there you go.
Try it!
Wow.
But a whole lot of people probably wanted to punch you in the face.
Power trip? If we're talking about tying to get on at rush hour, it's the policy, and ignoring it makes you an asshat. If we're talking about an uninformed employee off peak, you could maybe just show them the policy, and if they don't listen, fill out a customer comment form on the spot.
Wow indeed. While I disagree
Wow indeed. While I disagree with their decision to break the rules, you've got some issues getting all worked up about it on the internets...
All worked up?
I commented on an article, posted on the internet, about someone telling people to break the rules, via the internet, potentially making mine and my neighbors' commute more difficult, and noted that it's a dick move. I'm no more worked up than you just got about my comment.
It may be a power trip
If they have no freaking idea what the rules are, harass people who are following the rules, and refuse to look at the freaking policy that you have handy and ready to show them on their own freaking website.
Don't take a bike on the T much, do ya? Despite years of outreach and training and publicly stated policy, power trips still abound.
Good point
as it relates to non-peak hours. Edited my comment for clarity.
And actually, when I worked non-traditional hours years ago, I took my bike on the Blue Line regularly with no issue. Also leaving my job at the end of the week and taking the summer off, and I plan on biking quite a bit.
Ridiculous
"Yes, you can bicycle to Logan Airport, here's how:
1) Ride your bike to the Blue Line, 2) Get on the Blue Line, 3) Get off at the airport.
Alternative: Get off one stop before the airport."
In our next edition: Yes, you can bicycle from Boston to New York, here's how!
1) Ride you bike to South Station, 2) Get on Amtrak's Acela Express, 3) Once you arrive in New York, ride your bike from Penn Station to your hotel.
Maybe instead of being
Maybe instead of being sarcastic you could think for a second and appreciate the fact that it is actually possible to do this and that someone bothered to document it, even if it's not a ridiculously difficult itinerary. Kids these days.
Why not bike since
if you use the red line and have an August flight you have to leave home by June 30.
Bike-Plane-Bike
Somewhere I think I still have a pamphlet entitled "Bike-Plane-Bike" from the 1980's? that gives instructions on how to ride a bike to/from the airport. The pamphlet cost 10 cents - probably published by a local Boston bike group.
Those were the days.
maybe..
People work at the airport and would like to bike?
Motorcycles
I would like to see an article about Motorcycle parking at the airport.. Oh wait I forgot, both cyclists and motorists hate us!
If You Think Cyclists And Motorists Hate You, Try Taking The Ⓣ!!
Universal Hub — 09/19/2014