Riders

1. Launch the app. Click “Choose public system” and then select “The Grid.”
2. For full functionality, create an account—preferably with a work email address.
3. After logging in, “allow” the app to access your current location and send you push notifications.

1. You can jump straight to trip planning from the “Explore” function, which is the default screen upon launching the app. Find a stop of interest, and then touch “From” or “To” at the bottom of the screen, depending upon whether you would like this to be your origin or destination. The app will automatically use your current location as the other point.
2. You can also enter your origin or destination by:
   • typing in any address;
   • beginning to type the address of a 128BC shuttle stop and selecting from the options that pop up;
   • scrolling through the complete list of stops;
   • or selecting “Choose On Map” and finding your destination geographically.
3. If you attempt to connect between two stops on different routes, the trip planner will tell you that “no route on a shuttle service could be found.”
4. If either your origin or your destination is not a 128BC shuttle stop, your directions will include a walking, biking, or driving leg.
5. You can select whether you would like the trip planner to rely upon walking, biking, or driving for non-shuttle legs by touching the settings icon directly below the origin/destination menu. (Note that there are maximum distances set by the app for walking and biking. As a result, you may encounter a “No route” message if the required walking or biking distance is too far.) From this screen, you can also select whether you would like to depart now, depart at a later date, or structure the trip around a particular arrival time.
6. Click any of the displayed trip options to view a map and more detailed timetable.
7. To save a trip between an origin and destination that you use frequently, touch the heart icon. (Note that you can only save trips directly from one 128BC stop to another, not trips that involve walking, biking, or driving legs.) You can access your saved trips by clicking the white heart at the top of the screen next to “Trip Planner.”
8. You can also access the “Trip Planner” by clicking the road sign icon in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen.

1. Notifications are set up directly from the Trip Planner.
2. Touch the particular trip that you are interested in, and then swipe up to reveal the more detailed timetable.
3. Click on the alarm clock icon in order to set a notification for that particular departure or arrival.
4. You can then control:
   • how late the shuttle needs to be in order to generate a notification;
   • whether you want to be notified when the vehicle is approaching;
   • whether you want to set the notification for a particular date or ‘subscribe’ to the notification on an ongoing basis;
   • on which days of the week you would like to receive notifications;
   • and whether you would like to receive the notification as a text message, a push notification through the app, or both.
5. Be sure to click “Save.”
6. You can view, edit, or delete the notifications that you’ve set up by selecting “Notifications” on the app’s sidebar.

128 Business Council designs, negotiates and manages the shuttle programs listed on this website, and partners with independent vendors that operate the shuttle vehicles with our oversight. We are a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization.

Read more about our mission and history.

128 Business Council is funded almost entirely by member companies committed to the economic viability of the Route 128 West region and beyond. Our members participate in shared routes, thereby providing a benefit for all who commute in the area. 128BC pools the funds of these companies to provide services that would otherwise be financially out of reach for a single company acting alone. However, it is a manifestation of our core values that the majority of our shuttle services remain open to the general public.

Shuttle fares range no fare to $5/ride, depending upon the route and upon whether or not you work or live at a member organization. (Member companies reduce shuttle costs for their affiliated riders by paying a fee to participate in the service). Check out the page for your particular shuttle route to see the fares for that route’s “member” and “non-member” riders.

You can pay with cash on board or by purchasing a 10-ride ticket. If you pay with cash, you must use exact change including bills or coins. Drivers are NOT permitted to make change.

You can purchase 10-ride tickets via PayPal on the page for your particular shuttle route, or on board your vehicle with cash (exact change only), or with a check made out to “128 Business Council.”

Those who live or work at a member property and want to ride one of our shuttles at the “member” rate—or those who ride one of our routes that are only open to “member” riders—must obtain a Shuttle ID card and/or ID sticker from their company’s transportation coordinator or community property manager. If you do not know who this person is, contact us and we will help you.

Check the page for your particular shuttle route to see the specific policies for boarding your vehicle.

Ask your property manager, facilities manager, or human resources department. Or contact us.

Yes! As long as the shuttle route is not marked “employees only” or “residents only,” that service is open to the general public. However, you will need to ride the shuttle at the “non-member” rate. Check the page for your particular shuttle route to see the “non-member” rate for that route.

Note that non-member riders must use the shuttle at an established stop. Go to the page for your particular shuttle route to view its stops.

The following shuttles are open only to eligible employees, residents, or affiliates: Cimpress, CityPoint, and Waltham Route A.

The Needham shuttle connects commuters from the Newton Highlands MBTA Station (Green Line D) with the Needham Crossing area.

Alewife Routes A, B, C, and D connect commuters from Alewife Station in Cambridge with various business corridors in Waltham and south Lexington. The REV Bus connects commuters from Alewife Station to Lexington Center and the Hartwell Avenue area of Lexington. Additionally, the Cimpress shuttle is a private shuttle route which is open to member affiliates only and which connects member riders to Alewife Station.

Waltham Route B connects riders from the Waltham Center Commuter Rail Station to the Winter Street area of Waltham. Additionally, Waltham Route A is a private shuttle route connecting employees only to the Waltham Center Commuter Rail Station.

We know life happens and sometimes you forget what you need. Don’t worry: Even if you do not have a valid Shuttle ID card, 10-ride ticket, or exact change, you will not be denied a trip.

If any of these events occur, board the shuttle and inform the driver of your situation. The driver will ask you to write your name and contact information on a log sheet, and will hand you a “Rider Responsibility” pamphlet which describes follow-up steps. You can then take your seat and complete your trip.

Please see our Policies & Procedures for details. Also refer to your specific shuttle route’s dedicated webpage for any exceptions.

Yes. It is 128 Business Council policy that every rider shows their Shuttle ID card upon every boarding. This keeps shuttle costs down by preventing fraud, and keeps things moving if there is a substitute driver.

No. 128 Business Council shuttles are not affiliated with the MBTA. CharlieCards and/or MBTA passes are not accepted on 128 Business Council shuttles.

That said, we are currently exploring future payment integration, as the MBTA’s Automated Fare Collection 2.0 system will open the possibility for other transportation providers to integrate their services’ payments with the MBTA’s.

Our drivers check shuttles after each shift for personal items that riders have left behind, and they always let us know if they find anything.
If you think that you’ve lost something on one of our vehicles, please fill out our Lost & Found form.

We offer a program to member riders called “Emergency Ride Home” (ERH), which provides commuters who use alternative transportation (including those who use our shuttles) with a guaranteed ride home in the event of an emergency.

128 Business Council shuttle routes are designed to provide commuter service to and from MBTA stations and other hubs in accordance with common daytime work schedules, i.e. toward work in the morning and away from work in the afternoon.

Due to operational logistics*, we cannot guarantee the possibility of ‘reverse-direction travel’ for any of our routes.

While we cannot provide this service on a regular basis, we may, on a case-by-case basis, be able to accommodate reverse direction travel for a single trip on a single day. Please contact us at least one business day in advance for approval and scheduling.

If a reverse-direction trip is approved, the following policies apply: (1) You must pay the standard fare as applicable for your stop and member status. (2) Approval will only be given for a single trip. We cannot accommodate reverse-direction travel for multiple days at a time. (3) You will be instructed to be at the shuttle pick-up point 15-25 minutes in advance of shuttle’s expected arrival. (4) As soon as you arrive at your stop, you must contact Shuttle Dispatch [hyperlink] by phone to confirm your pick-up information. (4) The shuttle may need to make other scheduled stops en route to your destination.

*e.g. necessary routing constraints, shuttles being shared across multiple routes, scheduled breaks for our drivers, etc.

In most cases, no. If a time is shown in the P.M. timetable, this indicates that the shuttle will stop every day at that time.

However, any evening stop marked in the timetable with an asterisk (*) is an on-demand stop, meaning the shuttle will only stop there upon request. Please call your route’s dispatch number by 4:00 P.M. to request pickup at an on-demand stop.

Only certified service animals are allowed on 128 Business Council shuttles. We cannot allow pets otherwise, due to potential space constraints and allergy concerns.

An accessible vehicle can always be made available with notice. Contact us at least 24 hours in advance so that we can ensure that one of our accessible (lift-equipped) vehicles is available for your trip.

The most up-to-the-minute alerts about weather- or traffic-related delays are communicated via Tripshot, our rider app. You can also track your shuttle through the app (or use the Shuttle Tracker button located on the webpage for your particular shuttle route) to project your shuttle’s arrival time.

We have a whole section devoted to our Snow Policy.