The MBTA bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Many of these routes trace their origins back to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 of these routes, while four are operated by private contractors. Additionally, four suburban services receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
A standard local fare applies to most bus routes, set at $1.70 for a one-way trip as of 2024. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the regular subway fare, which is $2.40. Express bus services have a two-tier fare system: passengers pay the local fare for travel within local zones and $4.25 for express segments on highways.
Although service was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operations returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021, with some routes still temporarily suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing an extensive bus network overhaul intended to be completed by 2028. The first phase of this redesign commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as a rapid transit option. It features two distinct branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which run through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street services (SL4, SL5), which operate along surface streets. Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to those of the subway system, whereas Washington Street routes maintain standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those servicing the Waterfront branch utilize hybrid buses equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation within tunnels.
SL5 was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle commenced in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 in the same year, and SL1 in 2005 featuring dual-mode buses. SL4 launched in 2009 as a substitute for a canceled tunnel project. A new SL3 route serving Chelsea began operations in 2018.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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The MBTA's two crosstown bus routes designated as CT provide limited-stop service linking significant subway stations and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched with three crosstown lines in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
These lines constitute the primary local transit service within the metropolitan center, many having their origins as streetcar routes operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. In 1947, the BERy was transformed into the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which later reorganized into the MBTA in 1964. Although there have been some minor route consolidations, the fundamental network has largely remained consistent. Additional routes were introduced during both the M.T.A. and MBTA periods.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve the western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines stem from the 1972 acquisition of the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway and subsequent renumbering efforts.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were classified as key bus routes. Representing the highest ridership corridors, these routes support Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods by offering frequent service that complements the subway system. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign is transitioning away from the key route designation toward a more inclusive frequent route network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips connect outlying stations with , traversing multiple local routes. These trips are primarily intended for station staff but are accessible to all riders. Internally identified as trips 191–194, they appear in timetables as variants of local routes.
... [List continues with same format for all routes] ...
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Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes numbered 131 through 137 originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct routes 136 and 137 once extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management for a brief period. Route 132 originally operated under Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA control in 1975.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
Route 171 provides limited service substituting for early morning CT3 trips that were discontinued at Logan Airport beginning in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term services catering to industrial areas.
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Originally established in 1962 by the M.T.A. from former BERy routes, the 20 belt line was reclassified in 2005 into routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of the loops.
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line Braintree Branch in the 1970s and 1980s, these services were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit hubs, predominantly .
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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Serving the Burlington and Woburn vicinity, routes 350 through 354 stem from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston line, taken over by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently shortened to end at Burlington.
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Serving Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes incorporate former Service Bus Lines (411, 430) acquired in 1975, alongside mainly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines dating back to 1968. Among these, two Haymarket routes operate weekend short-turn services that conclude at Wonderland station.
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These express lines provide service between Newton, Massachusetts and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s following the turnpike’s extension, the 500 series includes routes initially operated by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, which were absorbed into MBTA operations by 1972. In 2020, certain routes were truncated to end at Newton Corner.
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with Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston’s Financial District
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Several suburban routes beyond the MBTA's primary service area receive partial subsidies from the MBTA and provide connections to its transit network. The radial commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were originally operated by private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc. (712/713), Nantasket Transportation (714), and Hudson Bus Lines (716) before being incorporated. Local circulator services, which are unnumbered, are established by municipalities with financial assistance from the MBTA and are run by private contractors, with the exception of the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
