Public bus system serving the Boston metropolitan area, Massachusetts, US
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus System| Company type | Public transit agency |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan region, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus transit services, including local routes, express routes, Silver Line BRT, and crosstown routes |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | mbta.com |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts. Each route connects with the MBTA subway, Commuter Rail, or other bus lines within the network. Many of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines once operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four others are operated by private contractors. Additionally, four suburban transit services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
The standard local fare for most bus routes is $1.70 per one-way trip as of 2024. Silver Line routes serving the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the SLW shuttle during peak hours) charge the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature both local and express segments, with fares set at $1.70 for local travel and $4.25 for the express portion into downtown Boston.
Bus service was scaled back temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic but was largely restored to pre-pandemic frequencies by 2021, although some routes were discontinued permanently. Since 2018, the MBTA has been working on a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for completion by 2028. Initial modifications were implemented in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit system consisting of six routes that are promoted as rapid transit services. It operates two main branches: the Waterfront segment (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street segment (SL4 and SL5), which travels along surface streets. Waterfront routes require payment of subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes use standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those on the Waterfront branch are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route replaced service previously provided by the Washington Street Elevated line in 2002. The SLW shuttle began operations in 2004, followed by the launch of SL2 and a former version of SL3 also in 2004, with SL1 starting in 2005 using dual-mode buses. The SL4 route was introduced in 2009 after plans for Phase III of the tunnel were canceled. A new SL3 route connecting to Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Crosstown
Two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service that links key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs across the network. The MBTA originally introduced three crosstown lines in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes provide nearly all local transit within Boston's central metropolitan area, many tracing their lineage back to the former Boston Elevated Railway streetcar network. Generally numbered in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, their designations have remained mostly unchanged since the BERy period, aside from minor consolidations and expansions under the Metropolitan Transit Authority and later the MBTA.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – extend service to the western suburban towns of Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines originated from routes acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes. These high-demand corridors complement the subway network by offering frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA is transitioning away from the key bus route classification toward a broader frequent route system. Routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses for increased capacity.
There are also four early morning round trips (internally numbered 191–194) that connect outlying stations with via segments of multiple local routes; these primarily serve station agents but are available to all riders.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose region, deriving from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines incorporated into the MBTA in 1968. The discontinued routes 136 and 137 once extended service briefly to Lowell and Lawrence, which were their original termini under Eastern Mass. Route 132 was initially operated by Service Bus Lines before MBTA took over in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited early morning service as a replacement for CT3’s shortened route from Logan Airport since 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-lived services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The 20 belt route, initiated by M.T.A. in 1962, merged the previous BERy routes 20 and 21. To improve route identification, the MBTA divided the loop directions into two separate routes—201 and 202—in 2005.
210–245
Routes numbered from 210 to 245 mainly operate within Quincy, Massachusetts, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, many of these routes were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
These routes cover the Burlington and Woburn regions, deriving from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston line, which was incorporated into the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently shortened to serve Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, this group of routes features two with weekend short-turn options (designated with the W suffix) that conclude at Wonderland. The 411 and 430 lines were incorporated into the system following the acquisition of Service Bus Lines in 1975, while the remainder originated from the purchase of Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes in 1968.
501–558
These express services link Newton and downtown Boston by way of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike's extension. Routes in the 550 series trace back to Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines serving Newton Corner; these were extended downtown in the 1960s before MBTA assumed control in 1972. However, since 2020, these routes have been shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
| Route
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Description
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MBTA link
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| 501
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Brighton Center to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 504
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Watertown Yard to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 505
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Waltham Center to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 553
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Roberts station (Brandeis/Roberts) to Newton Corner station
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 554
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Waverley Square to Newton Corner station
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 556
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Waltham Highlands to Newton Corner station
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 558
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Riverside station to Newton Corner station
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Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban bus lines that extend beyond its standard coverage area, offering connections to the MBTA transit network. The radial commuter services numbered 712 through 716 were originally private operations—routes 712 and 713 were acquired from Rapid Transit Inc., route 714 from Nantasket Transportation, and route 716 from Hudson Bus Lines.
Local circulator services without numerical designations are initiated by local governments and receive some financial backing from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, these routes are all operated under private contracts.
