Riders

Download the app & set up your account

For full functionality, set up an account using a work email address and allow Tripshot to use your location & send you notifications. Full instructions below.

1. Using your phone’s app store, search for and download “Tripshot.” Or if you’re currently on your phone, you can just follow this link. If you’re on your computer but have your phone with you, you can scan this QR code with your phone’s camera:
2. Once Tripshot is downloaded, open the app and search for “The Grid.” Or, click “Choose public system” and select it from the list.
3. Select “Sign up” to create an account.
4. Enter your email address. If you qualify for a reduced member fare through your employer, please use a work email address.
5. Tripshot will then email you a link to confirm your account. Follow the provided link and complete the form.
6. The app’s trip planning functionality works best if you allow Tripshot to use your location.
7. Similarly, the app’s departure-specific alert functionality works best if you allow Tripshot to send you 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.

If your employer/worksite pays the full cost of your shuttle ride, you MAY be able to skip this step.

Set up your preferred payment method

You can purchase single- or multi-ride “Passes” or pay for each ride at the time of boarding using your “Balance.” See full instructions below.

1. Select “Wallet” from the main menu.
2. Select “Passes” to purchase single- or multi-ride passes. You need to press the + symbol to view the list of passes available to Grid riders.
3. Or select “Balance” to add funds directly to your wallet, which can be used to purchase single- or multi-ride passes at a later time or to directly withdraw the cost of a single trip at the time of boarding.
4. From the Wallet screen, you can also:
   • View, edit, or remove saved credit cards by selecting “Saved Credit Cards.”
   • View past transactions and generate receipts by selecting “Transactions.”

Did you notice your two free rides?

• Within the Tripshot app, if you select “Wallet” from the main menu and then select “Passes,” you will now see “Contributed Free Pass (2).” This is a pass for two free rides that you can use prior to purchasing passes yourself.
• If you qualify for a reduced member fare but have not yet been approved by your member organization, you can use these two free rides while you are waiting.

Board using bluetooth

If your phone’s bluetooth is turned on, Tripshot will automatically detect approaching vehicles and display them in the “Nearby Vehicles” list. See full instructions below.

1. Make sure your phone’s bluetooth is turned on.
2. As your shuttle is approaching, select “Wallet” from the main menu and select your shuttle from the “Nearby Vehicles” list.
3. Tripshot will automatically convert one ride from your purchased “Passes” into an active ticket. If you have no purchased passes for the route you’re trying to ride, Tripshot will instead deduct the cost of a single ride from your “Balance.”
   • If you have no relevant purchased passes nor sufficient balance, you will be unable to complete this step and board.
   • If your employer/worksite pays the full cost of your shuttle rides and if you have received confirmation that you’ve been approved for this benefit, Tripshot will automatically generate a free ticket for you when you select your shuttle from the “Nearby Vehicles” list. You don’t need to purchase passes or add funds to your wallet.
4. The active ticket screen will appear and display a two-digit code. Keep this screen open so you can show the code to your driver.

Board using QR code

Every shuttle has a vehicle-specific QR code posted inside the door which you can scan from within the app in order to pay & board. See full instructions below.

1. Select “Wallet” from the main menu and then select “Board by scanning QR code.” Note that you must use this button within Tripshot Wallet. Scanning the QR code through your phone’s camera app will not work.
2. Locate the vehicle-specific QR code just inside your shuttle’s door.
3. Tripshot will automatically convert one ride from your purchased “Passes” into an active ticket. If you have no purchased passes, Tripshot will instead deduct the cost of a single ride from your “Balance.”
   • If you have no relevant purchased passes nor sufficient balance, you will be unable to complete this step and board.
   • If your employer/worksite pays the full cost of your shuttle rides and if you have received confirmation that you’ve been approved for this benefit, Tripshot will automatically generate a free ticket for you when you select your shuttle from the “Nearby Vehicles” list. You don’t need to purchase passes or add funds to your wallet.
4. The active ticket screen will appear and display a two-digit code. Keep this screen open so you can show the code to your driver.

See the Rider FAQ section below for common questions related to the mobile app and mobile ticketing. Just scroll down to “MOBILE TICKETING” and/or “FARES & MEMBERSHIP.”

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.

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.

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

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.

Active tickets remain active for one hour. You can return to the active ticket screen by selecting “Wallet” from the main menu and then selecting “Tickets.”

Contact us at 128bc@128bc.org and we will fix it.

Check your route’s dedicated page under “Fares & Tickets” to check the status of fare collection on your route. We are currently in the process of resuming fare collection alongside the rollout of mobile ticketing across our system. Be sure to sign up for your route’s email list to receive updates.

No, but we strongly recommend it. The app already allows you to plan your trips, track your shuttle, and set up departure-specific alerts. Once mobile ticketing launches on your route, using Tripshot Wallet will allow you to pay your fare with the least amount of hassle and at the lowest possible cost since 10-ride passes will only be available through the app.

Similarly, if you qualify for a reduced member fare through your employer, worksite, or other organizational affiliation, you will only be able to access this reduced fare by downloading the app and setting up an account that can be verified by your organization.

Yes, you need to set up an account to use the app. In the past, you could use the app’s shuttle tracking and trip planning functions without setting up an account. However, now that we are relying on mobile ticketing, you need to set up an account to ensure that you cannot lose any purchased passes or uploaded funds.

If you still have paper tickets, you can use them up. However, no new paper tickets will be issued.

If you really want to pay in cash, you can still do so using your shuttle’s farebox. However, you will need to pay the full (non-member) fare and you will need to provide exact change. Shuttle operators will not carry any cash, change, or tickets.

REV Bus-Lexington Center fares will remain $1.00 per trip for both cash and mobile ticketing. However, again, cash fares can be paid with exact change only and 10-ride passes will only be sold through Tripshot Wallet.

Nope! Moving forward, riders who qualify for a reduced member fare will access that reduced fare by setting up a Tripshot account and then being approved by their employer. So, you can throw those physical shuttle ID cards away!

The only exception to this is Vox on Two, which continues to use Vox on Two Shuttle ID cards for boarding.

Only riders who are affiliated with a 128 Business Council member company (either because the member company is the rider’s employer or because the rider’s employer is a tenant of a member company) are eligible to ride on the reduced (member) fare.

If you haven’t done so already, download our rider app and set up your account—preferably using a work email address. (Reduced member fares are only available for purchase through the app.) Then watch for information from your member organization on how to be added to their approved rider list. We are working with each and every member organization directly to make sure this process happens smoothly!

If you do not hear from your member organization and do not know who the appropriate contact person is, please email us. We will connect you with your member representative who can approve your access to reduced member fares.

Yes! The only way to access reduced member fares, including free fares, is by setting up a Tripshot Wallet account—preferably using a work email address—that your member organization can approve.

However, depending upon how your member organization provides the free shuttle rides to you, you may not need to set up a preferred payment method in the app. You should receive further information directly from your member organization about how fare-free boarding will work for your organization’s affiliates.

If you have not heard from your member organization and do not know who the appropriate contact person is, please email us.

We have begun rolling out Mobile Ticketing using Tripshot Wallet across our services, so watch for communications announcing the arrival of Mobile Ticketing on your route! If you are signed up for your route’s email list and have not heard about mobile ticketing or the resumption of fare collection, then the information below may not apply to you yet. Unsure? Check your route’s dedicated page under “Fares & Tickets”.

If your route has resumed fare collection, then you can pay your fare using our mobile app Tripshot (see above) or using exact cash.

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

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. (You can also check this list, although you may qualify through your worksite’s developer rather than your employer and thus you should still ask around.) 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.

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-North, A-South, 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: You will not be denied a trip.

No. If your route has resumed fare collection, then you can pay your fare using our mobile app Tripshot (see above) or using exact cash.