Bus system of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus System| Company type | Public transit system |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Founded | 1964; 62 years ago (1964) |
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| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus transit services, including local routes, express routes, Silver Line BRT |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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| Website | mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, all of which provide connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Numerous routes trace their origins to historic streetcar networks operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban entities such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four are managed by private contractors, and an additional four suburban services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
The standard local fare for most buses is $1.70 as of 2024. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the subway fare at $2.40. Express bus routes charge $1.70 for local segments and $4.25 for express portions on highways.
Operations were interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic but had returned to pre-pandemic service levels by 2021, although some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network redesign, with full rollout anticipated by 2028. The initial phase of changes commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes forming a bus rapid transit network promoted as rapid transit service. It includes two main branches: the Waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, plus the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which utilize the South Boston Transitway tunnel; and the Washington Street routes (SL4 and SL5), which operate on surface streets. Waterfront services charge fares equivalent to the subway, whereas Washington Street routes apply standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on the Waterfront are hybrid models with extended battery capabilities enabling electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The SLW Shuttle began service in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also in 2004, with SL1 launching in 2005 using dual-mode buses. After cancellation of a planned Phase III tunnel extension, SL4 started operating in 2009. A new SL3 route extending to Chelsea opened in 2018.
Crosstown
Two crosstown (CT) routes offer limited-stop service that links key subway and bus transfer locations. Initially, three crosstown routes were launched in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with the majority originating from the Boston Elevated Railway streetcar network. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely remained consistent since the BERy period, adapting through changes under the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) and later the MBTA. Additional routes were introduced during both the M.T.A. and MBTA administrations.
Seven routes — , , , , , , and — serve western suburban communities including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their origins to former routes taken over from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were subsequently renumbered using previously retired designations.
In 2004, fourteen routes — such as , , , , among others — were identified as key bus routes. These high-demand corridors complement subway service by providing frequent connections to the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign initiative is retiring the key route classification while expanding the network of frequent services. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Early Morning Trips
A set of four early morning round trips, numbered 191 through 194, operate between outlying stations and along portions of local routes. Intended primarily for station staff but available to all riders, these trips are listed as variants of regular local services in schedules.
131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes 131 through 137 originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence when operated by the MBTA. Route 132 was initially operated by Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA control in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited early morning service as a replacement for the CT3 route that was scaled back from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes within the 170 series were short-term services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The 20 belt route, originally established by the M.T.A. in 1962 from former BERy lines, was renumbered in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the loop directions.
210–245
Operating primarily in Quincy, routes numbered 210 through 245 are largely derived from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway services that were incorporated into the MBTA network in 1968. Following the inauguration of the Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to provide connections to Red Line stations.
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, routes 350 through 354 trace their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston route, which was taken over by the MBTA in 1968 and later shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore region, these lines incorporate former Service Bus Lines routes (411, 430) acquired in 1975, alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes absorbed in 1968. Weekend short-turn versions, identified with a W suffix, conclude at Wonderland station on two routes that start from Haymarket.
501–558
These express services link Newton with Boston's downtown area using the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s following the turnpike's expansion, the 500 series includes routes originally operated by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway before its MBTA acquisition in 1972. Routes in the 550 range were truncated to Newton Corner in 2020.
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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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| 504
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Watertown Yard to Federal Street & Franklin Street in the Financial District of Boston
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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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Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial financial support for suburban bus routes beyond its main network that connect with its transit services. Routes 712 through 716 are radial commuter lines previously managed by private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines. Local circulator routes receive municipal funding alongside MBTA subsidies; all are run by private contractors except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
