Mission & History
Mission
We offer innovative transportation solutions. And innovative transportation solutions mean reclaimed money, time and productivity.
As advocates for green communities and better transportation solutions, we plan and execute shuttle services throughout the Route 128 West Corridor and beyond, providing over 200,000 rides annually that connect major employers and residential communities to public transit hubs. While our shuttles are primarily funded by private business memberships, it is a manifestation of our core values that the majority of our shuttle services remain open to the general public.
The Route 128 West Corridor is one of the fastest growing regions of the Boston Metropolitan area. Our shuttles help to navigate this kind of growth by:
- Increasing individuals’ access to employment and educational opportunities, and increasing organizations’ access to potential employees
- Helping employers and employees reclaim the money, time and productivity stolen by traditional commuting
- Reducing the use of single-occupancy vehicles and improving the flow of traffic
- Improving air quality and reducing carbon output
However, we are about much more than just shuttles.
Our mission also extends to:
- Connecting members to a variety of other alternative transportation solutions
- Finding better ways to communicate the principles of equity and sustainability to a variety of stakeholders
- Inspiring environmentally-sustainable thinking and the creation of more sustainable communities
- Increasing the efficiency of buildings with LEED Certification and USGBC programs
We pursue this broader mission through a variety of membership benefits & services; commuter resources; consulting & research; mapmaking & design; and educational outreach.
History
In 1985, GTE Laboratories, Polaroid and The Nelson Companies jointly funded a transportation impact study of the area along Route 128 West, between Route 2 and Route 20. The study concluded that increased traffic congestion would negatively impact the region if traffic-reducing measures were not immediately implemented.
In 1987, two years after the study, 128 Business Council was formed to develop alternative transportation solutions and to promote the environmentally-friendly practices necessary to guaranteeing the vitality and economic attractiveness of the 128 West Corridor.
128 Business Council thus became the first Transportation Management Association in the Commonwealth and is now entering its fourth decade of service to corporate, developer, residential community and municipality-based members. Over the years, we have grown in geography and scope. Today, we are about much more than just shuttles, striving to serve as thought leaders for the planning sector through a variety of membership benefits & services; commuter resources; consulting & research; mapmaking & design; and educational outreach.
Board of Directors
Our organization benefits from the oversight of a diverse board of directors. Our current board members include:
- Douglas Waybright (Board President), The Nelson Companies
- Peter Cameron, Marcus Partners
- Christine Bouffard, BXP
- Melisa Tintocalis, Town of Burlington
- Mark McLean, Hobbs Brook Real Estate
Associations
128 Business Council is a proud sponsor of:
- Watch City Bike Lab, a free volunteer-run learn-it-and-do-it-yourself bicycle workshop located in downtown Waltham right on the riverside boardwalk.
Our organization is also an active member of:
- The Waltham Chamber of Commerce, which is an independent organization that represents the business community in the Waltham area and West Suburban region.
- The Charles River Regional Chamber, which champions the economic and cultural vitality of Newton, Needham, Watertown, and Wellesley.
- The Lexington Chamber of Commerce, which promotes a diverse local economy within the Lexington, Massachusetts business community.
- MassCommute, which is the non-profit coalition of the Commonwealth’s 16 Transportation Management Associations (TMAs).
Our staff are also members and/or in leadership positions of:
- The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT), which is the premier organization and leading advocate for commuter transportation and transportation demand management (TDM) professionals.
- The American Planning Association (APA), which is a nonprofit education and membership organization committed to creating better communities by elevating the diverse planning profession.
- Youth Engagement Planning (YEP!), which is is a non-profit organization focused on educating young people about urban planning and civic engagement.
