A Massport plan that would increase rideshare fees to and from Boston Logan airport by more than $15 roundtrip within the next decade has Uber up in arms over what it says is a “blatant cash grab.”
Uber, a primary transportation network company that passengers use to get each way to and from Logan, is shedding light on how Massport is looking to raise fees by $8.25 by 2031, more than the increase the agency presented last month.
A slideshow that Massport presented on Feb. 12 includes a graph outlining rideshare fee increases through fiscal year 2029. It shows how prices are proposed to go from the current $3.25 to $5.50 the next two years, and then $7.50 starting in 2027, and staying at that rate the following year.
Included in a footnote is a mention of how rates would increase another $2 in fiscal years ’30 and ’32, meaning passengers who use Uber, Lyft and other rideshares could be spending $23 roundtrip starting in 2031.
“This is going to be just a massive outlier, and it’s a blatant cash grab,” Uber Senior Director of Public Policy & Communications Josh Gold told the Herald on Tuesday. “Our drivers are going to feel it, and our riders are going to feel it, in an era where residents of the Bay State are looking for affordability. This is not the best path forward.”
Massport spokesperson Jennifer Mehigan told the Herald Tuesday that she couldn’t comment on the request the agency’s board will be voting on next Thursday, “since the original proposal may have changed as our staff is having ongoing discussions with the various transportation companies.”
Massport has not raised rideshare app fees in six years, Mehigan said.
In a release shared with the Herald, Uber contends that it only learned about the proposal to raise rideshare fees to $23 roundtrip by 2031 in a document it accessed in response to a records request.
The document provided to the Herald was a slideshow presentation presented on Feb. 12 during a joint meeting of the Audit and Finance Committee and the Facilities and Construction Committee.
Uber says the $23 roundtrip cost would be the “highest rideshare fee at any airport in the entire world.” Chicago O’Hare’s $10 roundtrip fees are the highest in the country followed by $8 roundtrips in Los Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth, according to data the company provided.
The Uber rep told the Herald that Uber is typically included in conversations about raising fees at airports across the country. He said he didn’t learn about Massport’s plans to increase costs to $7.50 each way starting in 2027 until the night before last month’s presentation.
“What’s clear now is that the whole plan wasn’t even released because they only talked about what they’re going to be in 2029,” Gold said. “They didn’t go to the full $23 (in 2031).”
“It’s not uncommon for airports to think about raising rates,” he added. “It is uncommon for them not to have conversations about it.”
Mehigan explained that last month’s presentation was “part of an overall strategic ground transportation plan, requiring both capital and operating investments.” If approved, she said, the proposal would “invest hundreds of millions to improve ground transportation at Logan for all passengers, including those who use and drive for the Ride Apps.”
“Logan saw its busiest year in 2024 with 43 million passengers,” Mehigan said, “and as we manage our growth, we need to make improvements to all of our ground transportation modes, including Ride Apps.”
“Nearly 30% of our passengers used a Ride App in 2024, bringing millions of vehicles to Logan’s roadways,” she added. “As passengers increase at Logan, we expect even more to use Ride Apps. We need to continue to improve our infrastructure to handle the demand.”