Bus network of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Network| 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 services, including local bus routes, Silver Line bus rapid transit, express bus routes |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates its bus network with 151 routes serving the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, integrating connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other MBTA bus services. The majority of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines once run by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit providers such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of these, the MBTA manages 147 routes directly, while four are operated under contract by private firms, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial MBTA funding.
As of 2024, local bus rides are priced at $1.70 per trip; however, the Silver Line’s waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the $2.40 subway fare. Express bus services feature a two-tier fare structure: passengers pay the local fare for segments within city limits and $4.25 for express highway portions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, service levels were curtailed but largely reinstated by 2021, with some routes permanently removed. Beginning in 2018, the MBTA embarked on a comprehensive redesign of its bus network aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and increasing service frequency. This overhaul is projected to conclude by 2028, with the initial phase launched in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes forming a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit. It features Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) that operate through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, alongside Washington Street services (SL4, SL5) that run on surface streets. While Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to subway rides, Washington Street routes maintain standard bus fare pricing. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those serving Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to allow electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle service started in 2004 alongside the initial launch of SL2 and SL3; SL1 followed in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. After plans for a tunnel extension were canceled, SL4 commenced operations in 2009. A new SL3 line connecting to Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA’s two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Originally established in 1994 with three routes, one of them—CT1—was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with the majority originally established as Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Numbered approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this network has stayed mostly stable since the BERy period, despite some route merges and additions implemented by the M.T.A. and MBTA.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve the western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines originate from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services that were incorporated in 1972.
In 2004, fourteen high-demand routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes to enhance subway coverage in densely populated zones with increased frequency. The MBTA's Bus Network Redesign beginning in 2024 will eliminate this classification and broaden the frequent route system. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips run between distant stations and by using sections of several local routes. Designed primarily for station personnel but accessible to all riders, these trips are internally numbered 191–194 but appear as route variants in published schedules.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate in the Melrose vicinity, tracing back to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed into the MBTA system in 1968. Routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA oversight. Route 132 was incorporated into MBTA service in 1975 after previously being operated by Service Bus Lines.
171
Route 171 functions as a limited-service substitute for early morning CT3 service, which was scaled back from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series provided brief industrial zone connections.
201–202
The 20 belt route was originally formed by the M.T.A. in 1962 by combining BERy's routes 20 and 21; it was renamed in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the loop directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 serve the Quincy, Massachusetts region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to primarily conclude at .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn locales, routes 350 to 354 originate from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell to Boston corridor, which the MBTA acquired in 1968. Over time, service was truncated to focus on Burlington.
411–465
Operating within Lynn and the broader North Shore area, these routes include former Service Bus Lines services (411 and 430) acquired in 1975 as well as primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes absorbed in 1968. Weekend short-turn versions of two Haymarket routes (marked with a W suffix) terminate at Wonderland.
501–558
The 500 series comprises express bus routes connecting Newton with downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). These routes were introduced in the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike's extension. Many originated from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, which was integrated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, several of these routes were truncated to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for several suburban routes beyond its primary service region that link with MBTA transit lines. The radial commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages route 716.
Moreover, local circulator services initiated by municipalities receive some MBTA financial support. These are generally run by private contractors, except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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