Commuter Benefits & Discounts

Students and employees can receive discounted CharlieCards to ride the MBTA. Rates are discounted rates for students are determined by campus and must be purchased through SIS.

Faculty and staff can receive a tax-free subsidy of $40-$55 per month depending on campus. Learn more about MBTA subsidy.

Bluebikes Bike Share program is available in Somerville, Cambridge, Boston, Brookline, and Everett. Tufts community members get nearly 50% off an annual membership and rides under 45 minutes are free, even for e-bikes. 

Learn more about Bluebikes and how to sign up.

If you want to carpool or use public transportation to get to campus but are worried about getting home in case of emergency, we’ve got you covered. 

Register for the Emergency/Guaranteed Ride Home program. You must be registered in advance and then are able to request a ride home in case of a qualifying emergency.   

Tufts Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Medford/Somerville 

Tufts ERH program supports Tufts employees who use low-carbon transportation with a free ride if an unexpected emergency arises. It is “commuter insurance” for those who carpool, take transit, bicycle, walk or vanpool to work. Participants simply take a taxi (through Lyft) in the event of an emergency, submit a reimbursement request within 30 days, and Tufts will reimburse the individual for the cost of getting home. 

Who can use ERH: 

An individual must first be enrolled in ERH and regularly commute via carpool, vanpool, public transit, bicycle, or walk at least twice per week. If you have a sustainable commute at least twice a week, register for ERH using this form. 

Steps to Follow When an Emergency Arises, and you have commuted sustainably that day: 

1. Arrange for emergency transportation beginning at your workplace, through the Lyft app. 
2. Take the trip and pay for the emergency ride. 
3. After your trip, email your Lyft receipt and an explanation of your emergency to transportation@tufts.edu. (Your Lyft receipt is emailed to you after the ride is finished.) 
4. Tufts staff will determine that this is a qualifying emergency. If they approve of the ride, Tufts will pay for it, and your credit card will ultimately not be charged. 

Qualified Emergencies: 

• Unexpected personal illness/emergency 
• Unexpected family illness/emergency 
• Carpool leaves due to an illness/emergency 
• Unexpected mandatory overtime 

Not Qualified: 

• Rides to work 
• Personal errands or pre-planned appointments 
• Scheduled overtime 
• On-the-job injury 
• Weather-related events 
• Transit system delays/closures 
• Vehicle failure 
• Building closings 
• Shift times that end outside of transit service hours. 

Acceptable Destinations: 

• Home 
• Park-and-Ride lot or transit station where a vehicle is parked 
• Child’s school or day care 
• Medical facility 

Interim stops are accepted if they are part of the emergency (e.g., child’s school then home). 

Guaranteed Ride Home Program for Medford/Somerville & Boston/SMFA 

The Guaranteed Ride Home Program provides you with six free Uber rides per year in case of emergencies. Offered by the A Better City Transportation Management Association (ABC TMA). Register Now for Guaranteed Ride Home

Not having a car can be a great savings and better for the environment, until you need to go somewhere not accessible by public transportation—or you need to buy something bulky. Enter Zipcar, an on-campus, on-demand car rental service, that has convenient on and off campus locations.

Learn more about Zipcar at Tufts.