All Things Travel: Transportation Agencies Begin New Era Of Cooperation

BOSTON (CBS) - A new era of cooperation between Massachusetts state transportation agencies will begin Thursday at Logan Airport.

It will begin with Thomas Glynn, the new CEO of The Massachusetts Port Authority making his first report to The Board of Directors at their scheduled monthly meeting. This will be followed at noon by the largest state holiday travel media event ever held at Logan Airport in Terminal A.

A large group of officials will be on hand to answer questions as the busiest holiday travel period of the year gets underway this weekend. Massachusetts' highways, train and bus terminals are expecting record travel in the next 12 days.

With people having extra days off and vacations, Logan Airport's busiest days will be over this weekend and on Monday with people returning after Thanksgiving.

Peak auto, bus and rail travel will take place on the day before Thanksgiving.

On hand for the media briefing, in addition to Glynn will be MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey who is also Chairman of The Massport Board. Other officials will include Frank DePaola, MassDOT Highway Administrator and Jonathan Davis, Acting MBTA General Manager.

Also present to answer questions will be Ed Freni, Massport Director of Aviation and George Naccara, Federal Security Director for The TSA.

For the past year, Massport and the MBTA have been testing free transportation on The Silver Line between the airport and the South Station terminal. This program will continue until the end of the year and has improved the efficiency of bus service at Logan with quicker turnaround times at the terminals.

Another new MBTA transportation initiative this year are 10 trips a day to and from South Station to T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island stopping at the Providence rail station.

One tip for all travelers using Logan is that they will face long security lines.

It would be wise to get to the airport two hours before your flight is to depart to get to your gate.

Airlines are starting to board passengers earlier, about one half-hour before takeoff.

For more information, travelers can go to www.mass.gov/massdot.

Bob Weiss reports on business travel on Mondays at 5:55 a.m. on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.