New bus service to Logan Airport from Riverside

A new bus line connecting Logan International Airport to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Riverside station in Newton is designed to ease congestion and offer additional transit options for travelers living in Newton, Wellesley and Weston.

Blue Apple Bus, a Randolph-based transportation company, began its new bus line on Nov. 14 with 13 daily inbound and 14 outbound trips between Riverside and the airport. It is the company’s second bus line to Logan Airport, with one already operating from the Mansfield Commuter Rail station.

John Cogliano, the company’s president and CEO, said Blue Apple Bus is seeking to reduce congestion in MetroWest by offering a bus service that is easy to access and more economical than a rideshare service. He added that Blue Apple Bus is offering a closer alternative for residents who typically take advantage of the Logan Express in Framingham.

“We’re filling a transportation gap and providing an opportunity for folks to get out of their cars, so they’ll save money and gas,” Cogliano said. “I think it’s a great incentive for people to get out of their vehicles … Every person who gets on a bus, they’re taking their car off the road.”

Tickets are $15 each way and can be purchased online at blueapplebus.com. Service from Newton runs from 3:35 a.m. to 10:35 p.m., while Logan Airport service runs from 5:45 a.m. to 1:15 a.m. Parking is available at the #4372 lot at Riverside.

If the bus line is successful, Cogliano said Blue Apple Bus expects to expand the number of buses running in the future.

“The goal is to grow it, so it is sustainable,” Cogliano said.

The service was created in partnership with the Healey-Driscoll administration, which Cogliano credited with closing the transportation gap. Federal funding also supports the program.

“Blue Apple’s new bus service is a great example of what happens when the public and private sector work together,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a press release.

Cogliano is the former Massachusetts secretary of transportation, chairman of the MBTA, commissioner of the former Massachusetts Highway Department and the chairman and CEO of the former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

“This is a great example of a public-private partnership,” he said. “It’s going to save a lot of people from driving a longer distance or paying a very expensive ride-share.”

For more information about Blue Apple Bus, visit blueapplebus.com.