Massport proposes 5,000-space remote terminal in Braintree; council presses on traffic, access and local impacts

Massport representatives told the Braintree Town Council on June 2 that they plan to redevelop the existing Logan Express site into a phased remote terminal and garage that would hold about 2,800 spaces in phase one and roughly 5,000 spaces at full buildout.

Tommy Butler, Massport deputy director of community relations and government affairs, said the project would pair a reservation-based remote screening terminal with secure bus service to Logan Airport. "You park your car, you get screened, your bags get screened, TSA is there and all your security is handled at the facility," Butler said, describing a model recently piloted in Framingham.

Why it matters: Massport estimated the proposal would generate about 3,220 net new daily vehicle trips to the site and create roughly 2,000 direct construction jobs. Councilors raised immediate concerns about traffic at the Forbes/Granite intersection, potential economic effects on adjacent commercial areas and the feasibility and timing of a direct highway access ramp.

Massport said the project is being advanced in phases and is currently in permitting. "We're in the MEPA phase right now," Butler said, adding that phase one is targeted for a fall construction start with buildout running a few years and full buildout around 2031 under one scenario. Phase one would include more than 2,800 spaces; phase two would add the balance of the 5,000 total.

Peter H., Massport's director of ground transportation, described the passenger experience as reservation-driven and designed to reduce curbside and terminal congestion. "After you choose your flight… it will tell you what bus trip to take that will get you there within at least 45 minutes before your flight departure," he said, describing the online scheduling and check-in flow.

Councilors asked detailed operational questions and raised mitigation concerns. Councilor Reynolds pressed on whether screening at the remote terminal would handle boarding passes and baggage; Massport replied that airline representatives and baggage handling would be onsite and that checked bags would be loaded onto buses and processed at the airport. Councilor Sterling asked about shops or services inside the terminal; Massport said vending exists in the Framingham pilot and the Braintree design team is "looking at it for the future."

Several councilors questioned road capacity and local economic impacts. "You're doubling the traffic going in on Forbes Road," one councilor said, saying recent development already stresses that intersection. Massport said it has convened state DOT, the mayor's office and other stakeholders and that the state has committed to a site visit to study mitigation. The presenters said a direct highway access is not off the table but acknowledged it is costly and would require a long permitting timeline with state and federal agencies.

Massport also said the project will require a project labor agreement (PLA) as a mandatory RFP condition and stressed commitments to sustainability and landscaping. The presenters indicated they plan to return for follow-up briefings and to hold a public town-hall session in Braintree within two weeks to break the proposal into topic-area stations for community input.

What happens next: Massport is advancing environmental review and permitting, and councilors asked the agency to return with traffic-mitigation plans and proposed local revenue arrangements. Massport said it will coordinate closely with Braintree, DOT and state agencies during MEPA and before advancing into phase two.