Mobility

Leave Your Car at Home - The Greenest Option!

Approximately 33% of Needham’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector. Leaving your car at home and opting to walk, bike, or take public transit is an easy way to help reduce emissions. Even the most efficient car takes a lot of energy to build and operate. Walking and biking provide significant health benefits, and public transit can be a great way to avoid the hassles of driving, parking, and car maintenance.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about e-bike options to travel and get exercise by exploring this E-Bikes Background. 
• Take the commuter rail into Boston. Needham has four commuter rail stops: Needham Heights, Needham Center, Needham Junction, and Hersey. Learn more and check out the schedule at Needham MBTA Commuter Rail Schedule.   
• Take advantage of bus options by visiting MBTA 59 Bus Schedule and Maps.  
• If you need additional information about purchasing an MBTA pass, visit the CharlieCard Resources.  
• Take advantage of several nearby trails for walking and biking in Needham by checking out Needham Trail Maps and Bay Colony Rail Trail. 
• If you're interested in biking events and getting connected to the biking community in Needham, be sure to check out Let's Bike! Needham. 
• Carpool when you can and visit Bay State Commute to help you find carpool options and enjoy rewards for using low-carbon transportation options such as walking, biking, telecommuting, carpooling, public transit, or working a compressed work week.
• Are you a senior? Needham's Council on Aging (COA) vans transport residents to and from the Center at the Heights and to and from Council on Aging sponsored outings. Applications for The RIDE and other specialized services are available at the Center at the Heights. For more information about transportation services for Needham's senior residents, call Stephan Grably at 781-455-7555 x204.

Electric Vehicles 

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are an important tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.  Driving electric vehicles instead of vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE), which run on fossil fuels, can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of passenger vehicle trips. With an equivalent fuel economy of 100 plus miles per gallon with an EV, you could save 50 to 70 percent on fuel costs depending on where and when you charge. If you’re interested in learning more about your options for EVs, Green Energy Consumers Alliance can provide model and cost comparison of electric vehicle models available in Massachusetts and can schedule test drives for you with dealers in the area.

Interested in seeing estimates of economic and environmental impacts of green transportation upgrades? Check out RMI's Green Upgrade Calculator.

If you are looking to lease or buy an electric vehicle, there are state and federal incentives that can lower your costs: 

• State rebate: Through the MOR-EV program, receive $3,500 for a new battery or fuel cell electric vehicle. 
• Federal tax credit: Receive up to $7,500 on new vehicles and up to $4,000 on used vehicles. Vehicle’s MSRP and location where it was manufactured affect tax credit amounts. Starting in 2024, the tax credit will be transferable to dealers, essentially resulting in an upfront discount. Please note that the federal tax credits are expiring for electric vehicles and to obtain these credits, you must purchase and register your electric vehicle before September 30, 2025.

EV Charging at Home

Eversource provides rebates for between $700 and $1,400 to offset the cost of the wiring or panel upgrades needed to install Level 2 chargers at single-family or small multifamily home (two to four families).  

For customers who receive Eversource’s low-income discount rate, you may qualify for up to $2,700 in rebates for the electrical upgrades needed to power your charger, including a rebate for up to 100% of the cost of the charger itself.  

Eversource also offers rebates for condo associations or apartments buildings that are interested in providing shared EV charging stations on-site. The MassDEP MassEVIP Multi-Unit Dwelling & Educational Campus Charging Program also provides incentives for property owners or managers to acquire and install Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging stations. Multi-unit dwellings with five or more residential units and educational campuses with at least 15 students on site are eligible. MassDEP funds up to 60% of the hardware and installation costs to a maximum of $50,000 per street address.

Public EV Charging Stations

To accommodate EV drivers who do not have access to charging at home and those visiting our community, the Town has installed several public EV charging stations throughout town. These include the following:

View an interactive map of all EV charging stations in Needham and other communities. 

Please note that for the Town public EV charging stations, the following use rates apply:

• $0.25 per kWh of electricity dispensed
• Charge time limit: 4-hour charger use limit or until fully charged, whichever occurs first at no charge.*

*After the first 4 hours of charger use or the vehicle being fully charged (whichever occurs first), the owner will have a 30-minute grace period to relocate their vehicle from the charger. Vehicles left on the charger after the 30-minute grace period will be billed $3.00 per hour by ChargePoint plus any power used until it is relocated. 

For questions regarding Town of Needham electric vehicle chargers, please contact Sustainability Manager Gabby Queenan at gqueenan@needhamma.gov.