The City of Boston views the proposed project as a capacity enhancement plan. Expanding Logan s capacity will only increase traffic congestion at Logan and the routes to and from Logan. Adding another runway to this congested airport is like adding an extra lane to the Central Artery. It is not a serious long term solution to traffic problems. More traffic at Logan Airport will only mean more cars, trucks and shuttle buses on our congested highways and local roads.
Traffic congestion is already nearly unbearable during peak travel times.
The majority of Logan s users actually come from beyond Route 128. Adding another runway at Logan for more suburban traffic is a Band-Aid approach to a regional problem that requires a regional solution. The City of Boston maintains that until the Commonwealth implements a serious strategy to divert traffic from Logan to alternative airports in Massachusetts, congestion at Logan will never be solved and the environmental impacts of Logan will never be relieved. Furthermore, if the Commonwealth and the Federal Aviation Administration allow the Massachusetts Port Authority to diminish Boston s quality of life with increased air and noise pollution and weaken Boston s competitive advantage with increased traffic congestion, then economic growth in the region will occur unevenly, and the regional imbalances that have caused this problem will only grow worse over time. As the Mayor who convened and staffed a regionalization commission to promote greater cooperation among governmental entities in greater Boston, I am proud of my consistent efforts to advance regional agendas.