On the eve of a potential vote to hike fees on ride-hailing trips to and from Logan International Airport, the state Port Authority announced a new deal with Uber and Lyft that would reshape the changes under consideration.
The agreement combines a more modest fee increase with several other policy changes favorable to the companies, including a pilot program that would seemingly allow them to drop passengers off at the curb outside airport terminals instead of in a central garage location.
Uber, Lyft and Massport announced the breakthrough just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, ahead of a Massport board meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday where a larger package of Logan driver charges is set to be considered.
Officials said the terms of the agreements will receive a vote at Thursday’s meeting.
Uber in particular has spent weeks aggressively opposing the original draft of Massport’s plan, which called for gradually doubling the one-way fees on transportation network company rides to and from Logan from $3.25 to $7.50 by fiscal year 2029.
The new agreement instead calls for a “one-time per-trip fee increase” from $3.25 to $5.50 starting July 1, 2025. Uber’s XShare trips and Lyft Share trips would each be subject to a fee of $1.50 per trip.
As part of the deal, Massport agreed to “pilot expanded curbside access for rideshare users,” officials wrote in a press release without providing additional details. Some Uber officials have complained that riders paying high fees should not be left with drop off and pick up in a garage.
Uber and Lyft also plan to work on their “rematch” features and extend the time during which a driver dropping someone off at Logan can accept a pickup request from someone leaving the airport. The companies will also work with Massport to launch shuttle services.
Massport CEO Rich Davey said the agreement “improves the rider experience, establishes new, cheaper ways to get to Boston Logan and helps mitigate traffic around the airport and our surrounding neighborhoods.”
“As Boston Logan continues to grow, we expect even more travelers to use Ride Apps. We need to improve the infrastructure to support them, as well as our other ground transportation services so we are able to move more passengers with the least impact,” Davey said.
Josh Gold, Uber’s senior director of public policy and communications, said the deal will “get passengers to and from Logan more efficiently, while at the same time reducing congestion in the area.”
“We will continue to work with Massport to get travelers as close to the curb as possible and will always advocate for the best service for riders and the best platform for drivers,” Gold said in a statement.
Lyft Public Policy Manager Brendan Joyce added, “While we still have concerns about increasing fees on riders, this is a step in the right direction. It allows us to improve the rider experience at Logan as we continue to look for ways to equitably fund the airport’s future success.”
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