Hartwell Shuttle to Launch with Food Truck Rodeo

Transportation never tasted so good.

Lexington will kick off a new commuter shuttle connecting a local business hub with Alewife this week by hosting a food truck rodeo on Hartwell Avenue.

It goes down from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 101 Hartwell Avenue. Attendees of the “Hartwell Food Truck Rodeo” can grab a bit and get some information on the Hartwell Area Commuter Shuttle.

“Hosting a food truck rodeo event addresses the desire for additional transportation and lunch options in the area,” said Melisa Tintocalis, Lexington's director of Economic Development, in a press release. “We were happy to work with King Street management and Lincoln Properties who have already been providing food truck lunch service to their Hartwell tenants.”

Known as “The Rev,” the commuter pilot shuttle will connect Lexington’s Hartwell Business District with the Alewife Red Line station, funded through a federal transportation grant the town and the 128 Business Council secured to fund the program.

On Wednesday, the Baja Taco Truck, Kefis Kitchen and Augusta’s Chicken on the Raod will roll into Hartwell Avenue, and The Rev—a bus equipped with WiFi and GPS—will be in free demonstration-mode for the day.

Along with tables and chairs for the lunching, Lexington’s Economic Development Office and the 128 Business Council will also have tables set up for those who save room for information consumption.

According to information previously provided by the town, the Jobs Access and Reverse Commute grant will cover about 80 percent of the pilot, while the remaining 20 percent was pledged by private property owners in the area, including Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Boston Properties, King Street Properties and Normandy Real Estate Partners.

“This grant enables a new transportation option for employees that is critical for connecting them to the employers in the Hartwell area,” Tintocalis, said earlier this year. “The shuttle will offer a refreshing alternative to commuting alone in a car and will serve as a great recruitment tool for employers drawing from the Cambridge-area workforce.”

The Rev’s schedule and route are now online. For more information please visit: http://www.128bc.org/HAR.