ABC TMA
A Better City Transportation Management Association (ABC TMA) is a pro-active, consensus oriented, non-profit organization of employers, retailers, business owners, property managers, public agencies, and business associations working together to address transportation, air quality, and commuter issues in downtown Boston and the Back Bay.
ABC TMA's mission is to maintain the economic viability of downtown Boston and the Back Bay by reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality through the creation and provision of services and materials that promote transportation options and alternative to the single occupancy vehicle.
ABC TMA serves downtown Boston and the Back Bay including the Financial District, West End, Chinatown, Beacon Hill, North End, Charlestown and Theatre District.
ABC TMA provides incentives and programs that encourage employees to take transit, carpool, vanpool, bike and walk into work. These programs include:
- Guaranteed Ride Home Program: Allows all employees that take the bus, subway, commuter rail, carpool, vanpool, bike or walk to work to receive a Guaranteed Ride Home in the event of an emergency or unscheduled overtime. This program helps ease the fears of many employees who may be hesitant to use transit on a regular basis because of something that may happen, one or two times per year.
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Incentive Program: "Workout to Work" provides incentives and safety training to employees who bike or walk to work and/or transit. ABC TMA provides participants with an online logbook to track the vehicle miles they prevent each month in the program.
- Vanpool Seat Subsidy Program: ABC TMA provides a subsidy of $220 over six-months to new riders in a vanpool. ABC TMA assists in forming new vanpools and offers assistance to existing vanpools by covering the cost of empty seats for a period of time and providing discounted vanpool parking.
- "Fill 'Er Up" Carpool Incentive Program: ABC TMA provides a subsidy of $210 over six-months to new carpools or to existing carpools that add a new rider. By covering the cost of fuel for six months this program provides an incentive to individuals who have not been able to take advantage of existing employer based vanpool or transit pass subsidies.
- "Express Yourself" Commuter Boat/Express Bus Subsidy Program: ABC TMA provides drive alone employees with a subsidy of $100 per month for three months to purchase MBTA Express Bus, Private Bus, or MBTA Commuter Boat passes.
- Area-Wide Ridematching: ABC TMA uses an online ridematching system to match member employees with other employees commuting into Boston who are interested in sharing a ride in a carpool or vanpool.
ABC TMA programs and services are designed to enable its members to meet the requirements within the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Rideshare Regulation as well as the City of Boston's Transportation Access Plan Agreements (TAPA) and are aimed at reducing the number of drive alone commuters, reducing vehicle emissions, and improving access to various transportation options.
Through these programs and other services, ABC TMA is able to lower the cost of these commute modes and make them fun and rewarding to use. The benefits affect us all, with less traffic, cleaner air, and a better overall quality of life.
A Better City in partnership with the Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) project and the City of Boston launched ABC TMA in 1996 in order to address employer concerns about getting employees, clients, and visitors into Boston during the peak construction of the CA/T (the Big Dig). ABC continues to serves as ABC TMAs parent organization.
