- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
- Rail and Transit Division
Media Contact
Jacquelyn Goddard, Director of Communications, MassDOT
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration is announcing the awarding of $3 million in funding for 13 Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), one TMA membership association, and one consulting firm, to support 19 projects which encourage transportation alternatives and expand transportation options in communities across Massachusetts. Awards include funding to operate and publicize shuttles, improve bus stop infrastructure, expand ferry service, and more. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) TMA Grant Program first launched in Fiscal Year 2025 and is now in its second year. The goals of this grant program are to reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) travel, reduce emissions, encourage mode shift, and expand mobility.
“Our investments in community transportation are about connecting people to jobs, schools, and services today and into the future,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “The projects supported through the TMA Program are vital to building a more reliable, resilient, and accessible transportation network. I look forward to seeing this program continue to grow and serve our communities for years to come.”
A TMA is a membership-based organization that focuses on improving transportation options and infrastructure within a specific region or community. TMAs are typically formed through collaboration between local businesses, government agencies, and community stakeholders to address the unique transportation needs of their respective regions. TMAs implement programs and initiatives aimed at promoting alternative transportation methods like carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, and public transit usage. They also provide transportation-related services, including shuttle programs, carpool matching services, and commuter incentives, all geared towards reducing single-occupant driving.
A list of the winning projects is available below, and more information on the TMA Grant Program is available here.
| TMA | Project Summary | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 128 Business Council | Continue the expansion of the Needham shuttle service and support further outreach to increase private funding. | $296,093 |
| 128 Business Council | Support and preserve the Waltham shuttle service. | $64,283 |
| A Better City, Inc | Continue Guided Ride Series, the free program that teaches people how to navigate Greater Boston by bike, through calendar year 2025. | $85,000 |
| AECOM | Provide technical assistance to TMAs for metrics and reporting. | $40,000 |
| Alewife TMA | Continue shuttle expansion and marketing of the service. | $170,000 |
| Assembly Square TMA | Create a bus shelter and install wayfinding signs and kiosk at Assembly Square mobility hub in Somerville, to promote and facilitate multi-modal travel options. | $232,650 |
| Assembly Square TMA | Provide webinars and in-person events on bike safety; create a biking map; and offer guided bike rides targeted to riders at a range of levels of comfort with biking, to encourage employees in the Assembly Square area to consider biking for their commutes. | $26,400 |
| Boynton Union Connect TMA | Multi-faceted approach to promoting biking in the Union Square/Boynton Yards neighborhood of Somerville, including guided bike rides, bike clinics, a bikeshare station, and development of biking and transit maps. | $95,000 |
| Charles River TMA | Continue the mid-day and weekend EZRide service. | $183,000 |
| Longwood Collective | Continue and expand bike support, extend emergency ride home program to 24/7, continue enabling the Longwood TMA app, and support ongoing web updates and translation service. | $110,000 |
| Lower Mystic TMA | Operate a new Charlestown/ Everett Link Shuttle connecting low-income housing to transit hubs and grocery shops. | $200,000 |
| MassCommute | Fund procurement of one unified data and ridematching platform for all TMAs to use, to support meaningful metrics and facilitate cross-regional transportation. | $162,800 |
| Middlesex 3 TMA | Continue funding the Middlesex 3 TMA Burlington area shuttle network, which provides shuttle service between Alewife, Northeastern, and Burlington. | $350,000 |
| Neponset Valley TMA | Research the transportation needs of late afternoon and evening shift workers. | $70,000 |
| Neponset Valley TMA | Continue funding the Royall Street shuttle service extension in Canton, to better connect workers and employers. | $140,000 |
| North Central Massachusetts Rides TMA | Fund staffing support for the creation of a new TMA that will address transportation for residents and employees in and around Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner, Westminster, Lunenberg, Shirley, and Harvard. | $85,000 |
| Seaport TMA | Operate ferry service between North Station and Pier 10 in Boston. | $500,000 |
| Seaport TMA | Support the Seaport TMA commuter survey process, to collect information about employees’ transportation needs. | $30,305 |
| Watertown TMA | Analyze data on travel patterns and use findings to inform development of new mobility alternatives, all in an attempt to reduce single occupancy vehicle commuting. | $159,469 |
| Total | 3,000,000 |
Statements of support
Chairperson, Massachusetts Joint Committee on Transportation, Senator Brendan Crighton
“Transportation Management Associations play a critical role in our community infrastructure and transportation network. As we continue to grow and invest in new projects, TMAs understand the needs of those they serve and continue to find innovative solutions to close transportation gaps and ensure all residents are able to get where they need to go."
Chairperson, Massachusetts Joint Committee on Transportation, Representative James Arciero
“The future travel needs for our residents will help to be met if we can better connect community members to existing routes and if we can expand options in every city and town. We are grateful to have the TMA Grant Program which will expand shuttles, offer additional non-vehicle travel opportunities and support technical and logistical needs of people who want to take trips using bicycles and public transportation.”
Neponset Valley TMA Director, Karen Dumaine:
“The Neponset Valley Transportation Management Association is grateful to MassDOT for the recent grant funding award. This support is essential to the success of the Royall Street Shuttles that provide critical connections between four regional transit hubs and employment centers. The shuttles are a lifeline for employees, residents, and businesses in a corridor underserved by traditional transit routes. They support a hybrid workforce and help reduce traffic congestion and reliance on single-occupant vehicles. The additional support for a needs assessment made possible by this funding will allow us to better understand and respond to the mobility challenges faced by shift workers in the region. With this funding, the Neponset Valley TMA will continue bridging transportation gaps, promoting equitable access to jobs, and advancing sustainable commuting solutions for the communities we serve.”
Seaport TMA Executive Director, Pat Sullivan:
“MassDOT’s TMA Grant Program helps move innovative transportation ideas from concept to street level, delivering services people rely on every day. The funding we’re receiving from MassDOT and the Healey-Driscoll Administration is powering expanded cross-harbor commuter ferry service, guided ‘slow roll’ bike rides, and a regional commuter trip planning platform that lets TMAs track results and sharpen service. Together, these investments are reducing drive-alone trips, broadening access to jobs, and giving Massachusetts residents dependable, sustainable choices for how to get around.”
A Better City, TDM Director, Scott Mullen:
“The Guided Ride Series has opened people’s eyes to how robust the regional bike network has become and how it complements the MBTA. By making new connections between the T and the bike network, people are finding new ways to move around the region in their daily lives. We are grateful to MassDOT for their continued support of this effort.”
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