Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division| Company type | Public agency division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Predecessor | Boston Elevated Railway, Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, Service Bus Lines, Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, Hudson Bus Lines |
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| Founded | 1964; 62 years ago (1964) |
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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 buses, express routes, Silver Line bus rapid transit |
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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 division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway system, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus services. The majority of these routes trace their origins to historic streetcar lines formerly operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and various suburban companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of these, the MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four are operated by private contractors, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the local bus fare is set at $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line's waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express bus routes feature a dual fare structure: a local segment charged at the local fare rate and an express highway segment priced at $4.25.
Service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, with most operations restored by 2021; however, some routes remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, with completion anticipated by 2028. The initial phase of these changes was implemented in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit options. It operates through two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which runs via the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), which travels along surface streets. Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to subway rides, whereas Washington Street routes maintain regular bus fare pricing. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to facilitate electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route commenced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The Shuttle service launched in 2004 alongside SL2 and the original SL3; SL1 followed in 2005 featuring dual-mode buses. The SL4 route was introduced in 2009 as a substitute for the canceled Phase III tunnel project. A new SL3 extension to Chelsea began operation in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that offer limited-stop service designed to link key subway stations and bus transfer hubs efficiently. Initially, three crosstown routes were established by the MBTA in 1994; however, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes provide coverage for nearly all local transit within Boston’s central metropolitan region, many of which originated as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Numbered approximately in a clockwise direction from the southeast to the northeast, this system has remained mostly stable since the BERy period, evolving through the Metropolitan Transit Authority (established 1947) and later the MBTA (from 1964). Some smaller routes have been consolidated into main trunk lines, while additional routes were introduced under M.T.A. and MBTA governance.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services acquired in 1972 and reassigned with previously retired route numbers.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus services. These high-demand corridors complement the subway network by delivering frequent transit options to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign initiative beginning in 2024 is replacing the "key bus route" label with a broader frequent service network. Routes 28 and 39 operate using 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips running between outlying stations and over various local lines. While primarily intended for station staff, these trips are accessible to all riders. Internally, they are numbered 191–194 but are publicly listed as variants of existing local routes.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 service the Melrose vicinity, stemming from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct 136 and route 137 previously extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA operation. Route 132 was introduced in 1975 following its acquisition from Service Bus Lines.
171
Route 171 functions as a limited-frequency substitute for the early morning CT3 service that was truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series operated briefly as industrial shuttles.
201–202
The 20 belt route, originally created in 1962 by combining BERy's routes 20 and 21, was renumbered in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better differentiate the loop directions.
210–245
Routes numbered from 210 to 245 primarily serve the Quincy region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA system in 1968. With the gradual inauguration of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to end at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn communities, these routes originate from the Lowell–Boston line of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which was acquired by the MBTA in 1968 before being truncated to Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes encompass former Service Bus Lines (411, 430) that the MBTA acquired in 1975, as well as primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines integrated in 1968. Two routes originating from Haymarket provide weekend short-turn services ending at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express routes link Newton, Massachusetts with downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series during the 1960s to utilize the turnpike’s extension into Boston. The 550 series originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines serving Newton Corner station, extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s before MBTA acquisition in 1972; these routes were shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban bus lines beyond its primary service region that connect to its transit network. Routes 712 through 716 consist of radial commuter services previously owned by private companies—specifically, Rapid Transit Inc. managed routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation operated route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines ran route 716.
Unnumbered routes function as local circulators launched by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. These are mostly run by private contractors, with the exception of the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
| 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 the Financial District of Boston
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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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