As the Seaport rapidly expands its commercial and residential prospects, some pieces of public infrastructure, like public transportation, are left catching up.

Working directly with local employers and city officials, The Seaport Transportation Management Association (TMA) is expanding mobility options for workers, residents and visitor alike.

Founded in 1996, TMA is a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of its member organizations to advocate for better transportation options. The organization often serves as a go-between for city planners, local business owners and the community that lives and works in the Seaport.

TMA provides personalized services that help businesses and their employees adjust to moving to the Seaport as well as advocates for new infrastructure that reduces traffic congestion and connects the community to existing infrastructure.

“The ‘last mile’ is really at the heart of the work we do every day,” Executive Director Patrick Sullivan said in an interview, referring to a city planning term for the final leg of a commute.

“We do that through advocacy. We work directly with the MBTA and MassDOT and the city of Boston to highlight areas where last mile improvements are necessary.”

Last mile transit efforts by the TMA have expanded the number of Bluebikes stations and the organization provides free yearly bike tune-ups in partnership with Landry’s Bicycles. This summer’s tune-ups will take place on Wednesdays at the Seaport Common from April 16 through September 24. You can reserve a time slot at the Seaport TMA’s website.

“We do that as a way of encouraging people to bike into the Seaport to take advantage of the protected bike lanes along Seaport Boulevard and on Summer Street,” Sullivan said. “Talking to our partners, whether they’re our members or other community groups, we want to make sure that when we’re advocating for bike lanes, we’re advocating for bike lanes that make sense. We’ve found that the protected bike lanes we have along Seaport Boulevard and the cycle track on Summer Street made a lot of sense.”

TMA has also helped spearhead the growth of water transportation. In 2018, working with the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and several Seaport employers TMA helped launch the North Station Seaport ferry. The route quickly became a popular option for commuters, offering a reliable, 14-minute ride across Boston Harbor. The service is publicly accessible for $5 a ride and free for employees of participating companies.

“There are thousands of commuters that come into North Station and then need to travel that last mile to the Seaport,” Sullivan said. “Employers in the mid 2000s were running shuttles buses from North Station. We were able to consolidate those shuttles and moved that whole service onto a ferry, which took eight to ten shuttle busses off the streets of Boston.”

Following the success of that ferry, TMA supported the addition of a second ferry route in 2021, connecting East Boston to the Seaport. It’s looking at launching a third route later this year, extending service from North Station to the Flynn Marine Park near the Design Center. These ferries don’t just help workers, they improve access to the neighborhood for everyone, including residents who rely on alternative transportation.