Overall, transportation accounts for roughly 30 percent of Boston’s emissions. One car trip less every week for an entire year equates to about 0.2 tons less carbon pollution in the air. If everyone in Boston decided to replace one car trip a week with transit or biking, we’d reach our climate action goals a year earlier and take the equivalent of 20,000 cars off the road.
The car is no longer king in Boston. More and more of us are choosing not to drive–not just in Boston, but across the Northeast. If you’re afraid of missing the bus, new smartphone apps can tell you exactly when a bus will arrive. You can also try Hubway bike-sharing, car-sharing services, and tips on driving smarter.
Here’s a list of resources for determining which transit option is best for you and your employees.
Car-sharing and Taxis
- Enterprise CarShare: a car-sharing service with cars across Boston.
- RelayRides: A service that lets you borrow your neighbor’s car for a fee, or you can rent out your own car to make some money.
- RideScout App (iPhone): To help you to plan your trip and to give you various choices, this app aggregates all of the city’s ground transportation options to get you from point A to point B.
- Taxis (City of Boston): Information about taxi companies, rates, coupons for seniors and disabled residents, and much more.
- Zipcar: a car-sharing service with cars across Boston.
- View a map of car sharing locations around the City of Boston here.
Public Transit within Boston
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA): Contains schedules, fares, alerts, and more for the MBTA’s T, commuter rail, ferries, and buses.
- MBTA App Showcase: A selection of apps from the MBTA includes real-time location of buses, transit alerts, train wait times, ticket purchasing, and more.
Regional and Northeast Transit
- Regional Trains and Buses (City of Boston): Contains a list of Boston’s regional train and bus options. Before buying a plane ticket, think about taking a bus or train to other cities in the Northeast; for many urban dwellers, air travel may account fora huge proportion of emissions.
Commute Options for Businesses
- MassRIDES: The free state program for employers who want to encourage sustainable commuting options. Services include toolkits for alternative commutes and Emergency Ride Home, which allows for reimbursement for taxis or rental cars used in emergencies.
- nuRide: A MassRides web app that connects employees with carpools.
- A Better City Challenge for Sustainability: Boston non-profit, A Better City, hosts the Challenge for Sustainability, the largest sustainability program for large and small businesses in Boston, which includes ways to provide alternative commute options for employees.
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