Boston Logan International Airport is considering developing off-site security screening locations, from which departing passengers will be bused in.
“So, we’ve talked about creating curb space 10 miles away, in a suburban parking lot, where you can go through TSA [Transportation Security Administration] security there, get on a secure bus, and be dropped off on the secure side of the airport,” Richard Davey, Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) CEO, said during a panel last month at the CoMotion Miami conference.
Logan Airport, owned and operated by Massport, is squeezed onto a small jut of land surrounded on three sides by the Boston Harbor, and neighborhoods on another. Space is at a premium. That challenge has airport officials looking to more creative ways to use curb space and improve access to the airport, which is about four miles from downtown Boston.
“Creating curb space is actually our biggest issue,” Davey said, painting the picture of congestion from arriving and departing passengers. Staging at least some of the security screening offsite could cut down on some of this curb crowding, with departing passengers bypassing these areas to be dropped off on the secure side of the airport.
“It’s digital, it’s analog, but all trying to find a way to improve our customer experience,” the CEO said, adding data shows when passengers are happy, they spend more money at retail outlets.
To further improve its customer experience, Logan Airport is testing a whimsical piece of artificial intelligence technology involving trash and recycling receptacles. Airport users hold up their empty container or other waste item to Oscar — sensing technology attached to the trash bins — which then determines into which bin the item should be tossed. The technology aims to address the confusion people sometimes encounter when faced with multiple receptacles and a quick decision on where to discard their rubbish.
“That’s a subtle way to not only reduce our land waste but also improve the customer experience,” Davey said.
Other transportation leaders are also looking to technology to improve rider experience. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is introducing new rail cars this year, which are loaded with new technologies, Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO, said.
There are some 200 monitors and sensors analyzing noise and visuals in each train, the general manager said during a CoMotion transit technology panel.
“It’s got more gadgets, bells and whistles than I can begin to talk about,” he said, calling attention to features like automatic train coupling. Traditionally, the train operator had to manually maneuver the coupling mechanism, which was often time-consuming and dangerous.
“Today, with this new train, you just push a button, and sit right there, and it automatically couples,” Greenwood said. “It is the most technologically advanced subway car in North America at this time.”
But what piece of technology really got the attention of riders? The mobile phone charging ports.
“So, it’s about what’s important to the customer,” Greenwood said. “But it’s loaded with technology, and we couldn’t be happier.”
