137 (MBTA bus)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division

Company type	Public agency division
Industry	Public transportation
Headquarters	Boston , United States
Area served	Boston metropolitan region
Products	Bus transit services including local routes, express routes, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line)
Website	mbta.com/bus

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 bus routes serving the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. These routes provide connections to the MBTA subway system, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other MBTA bus lines. Most of the current routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and various suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 of these routes, while four are operated under contract by private firms. Additionally, four suburban routes receive partial financial support from the MBTA.

As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is $1.70 per trip. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare rate of $2.40. Express bus routes feature a dual-fare structure: passengers pay the local fare for travel within city limits and an express fare of $4.25 for trips on highway segments.

Bus operations experienced interruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic but largely resumed normal service by 2021, with some routes still temporarily inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive overhaul of its bus network scheduled for completion by 2028; initial modifications began rolling out in December 2024.

Silver Line

The Silver Line is a six-route bus rapid transit (BRT) system promoted as rapid transit. It consists of two distinct branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which operate through the South Boston Transitway tunnel and charge subway fares; and the Washington Street services (SL4, SL5), which run on surface streets with standard bus fare pricing. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length. The Waterfront fleet uses hybrid buses 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. The Shuttle service started in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also in 2004. SL1 began operation in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. SL4 was introduced in 2009 after a planned tunnel project was canceled. A new SL3 route extending service to Chelsea was launched in 2018.

Route	Description	MBTA link
SL1	Logan Airport terminals to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
SL2	Drydock Avenue to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
SL3	Chelsea to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
SLW	REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
SL4	Nubian station to South Station	Template:MBTA bus EL
SL5	Nubian station to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system (Temple Place)	Template:MBTA bus EL

Crosstown

The MBTA operates two crosstown bus routes designated as CT routes that offer limited-stop connections between key subway stations and major bus transfer points. Initially, three crosstown routes were introduced in 1994; however, route CT1 was consolidated into route 1 in 2019.

Route	Description	MBTA link
CT2	From REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
CT3	Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL

1–121

These routes encompass nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most originally established as streetcar lines by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, their fundamental network has remained largely unchanged since the BERy period. The BERy was incorporated into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947, which later transformed into the MBTA in 1964. Over time, smaller routes have been consolidated into main trunk lines, and additional routes were introduced during M.T.A. and MBTA oversight.

Seven routes— , , , , , , and —extend service to outer western suburbs such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These originated from routes acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were reassigned numbers that had previously been retired.

In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes. These high-ridership lines support the subway by delivering frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign, commencing in 2024, will discontinue this classification while expanding a broader network of frequent routes. Notably, Routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.

There are four early morning round trips that run between peripheral stations and along segments of various local routes. Intended primarily for station agents but accessible to all riders, these trips are internally numbered 191–194 yet appear as variants of local routes.

Route	Description	MBTA link

1 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

Route	Description	MBTA link

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

4 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

7 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Downtown Crossing station || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

8 || Columbia Point, Boston–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

9 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Copley Square || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

10 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Copley Square || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

11 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Downtown Crossing station || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

14 || Roslindale Village station–Heath Street station || Template:MBTA bus EL |- 15 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

or St. Peter's Square–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

16 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

or Columbia Point, Boston || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

17 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

18 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

19 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

or

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

21 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

22 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

via Talbot Avenue || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

23 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

via Washington Street || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

24 || Wakefield Avenue–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

26 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–Norfolk Street Loop || Template:MBTA bus EL |-

28 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

29 ||

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

–

1. REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system

|| Template:MBTA bus EL |-

30 || Mattapan to Forest Hills via Cummins Highway and Roslindale Square || Template:MBTA bus EL |- 31 || Mattapan to Forest Hills via Morton Street || Template:MBTA bus EL |- 32 || Wolcott or Cleary Square to Forest Hills Station || Template:MBTA bus EL |- ... [list continues similarly with key routes] ...

131–137

Routes numbered 131 through 137 primarily serve the Melrose region, having originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Among these, routes 136 and 137, now discontinued, once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management. Route 132 was initially operated by Service Bus Lines before the MBTA assumed control in 1975.

Route	Description	MBTA link
131	Melrose Highlands to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system or REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
132	Redstone Shopping Center to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
134	North Woburn to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
137	Reading Depot to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL

171

Route 171 functions as a limited early morning service that replaced the CT3 route after its reduction from Logan Airport in 2002. Earlier routes in the 170 series predominantly served industrial zones on a temporary basis.

Route	Description	MBTA link
171	Logan Airport terminals to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL

201–202

The original 20 belt route, established by the M.T.A. in 1962 based on BERy's former routes, was reorganized in 2005 into routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the direction of the loops.

Route	Description	MBTA link
201	Fields Corner Loop traveling via Neponset Avenue	Template:MBTA bus EL
202	Fields Corner Loop traveling via Adams Street	Template:MBTA bus EL

210–245

Routes numbered from 210 to 245 mainly operate within the Quincy vicinity. These routes come from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed by the MBTA in 1968. Following the gradual inauguration of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, many of these routes were adjusted to terminate at newly established rapid transit stations, predominantly .

Route	Description	MBTA link
210	From REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
211	Connecting REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system and Squantum	Template:MBTA bus EL
215	Linking REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system with REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system via West Quincy	Template:MBTA bus EL
216	(Houghs Neck) to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system through Germantown	Template:MBTA bus EL
217	(Quincy Center station) to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
220	From Hingham, Massachusetts to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
222	Connecting Weymouth, Massachusetts and REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
225	Between Weymouth Landing/East Braintree station and REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
226	From Weymouth, Massachusetts to Braintree station	Template:MBTA bus EL
230	Between Montello station and REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
236	Linking South Shore Plaza with REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
238	From Holbrook/Randolph station to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
240	Connecting Avon, Massachusetts and REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
245	From REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL

350–354

These services operate within the Burlington and Woburn regions, originally part of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston corridor. The MBTA acquired these lines in 1968 and subsequently shortened the service to terminate in Burlington.

Route	Description	MBTA link
350	Alewife station to North Burlington	Template:MBTA bus EL
351	Third Avenue to Bedford Woods Drive	Template:MBTA bus EL
354	State Street, Boston to North Burlington	Template:MBTA bus EL

411–465

Serving Lynn and the North Shore, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (411, 430) acquired in 1975, as well as lines from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway taken over in 1968. Weekend versions of Haymarket routes, marked with a W suffix, conclude at Wonderland station.

Route	Description	MBTA link
411	Malden Center station to Kennedy Drive or Jack Satter House	Template:MBTA bus EL
424	Wonderland station to Eastern Avenue & Essex Street	Template:MBTA bus EL
426	Haymarket station to Central Square, Lynn	Template:MBTA bus EL
426W	Wonderland station to Central Square, Lynn	Template:MBTA bus EL
428	Haymarket station to Oaklandvale	Template:MBTA bus EL
429	Central Square, Lynn to Northgate Shopping Center	Template:MBTA bus EL
430	Malden Center station to Saugus Center	Template:MBTA bus EL
435	Central Square, Lynn to Salem Depot via Peabody Square	Template:MBTA bus EL
436	'Liberty Tree Mall' to Central Square, Lynn via Goodwin Circle	Template:MBTA bus EL
439	Wonderland station to Nahant	Template:MBTA bus EL
441	'Marblehead' to Wonderland station via Massachusetts Route 1A	Template:MBTA bus EL
442	Wonderland station to Marblehead via Humphrey Street	Template:MBTA bus EL
450	Haymarket station to Salem Depot	Template:MBTA bus EL
450W	Wonderland station to Salem Depot	Template:MBTA bus EL
451	Salem Depot to North Beverly station	Template:MBTA bus EL
455	Wonderland station to Salem Depot	Template:MBTA bus EL
456	Central Square, Lynn to Salem Depot	Template:MBTA bus EL

501–558

These express routes link Newton and downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90). Established in the 1960s following the turnpike extension, the 500 series consists of routes formerly operated by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway before MBTA's acquisition in 1972. Routes in the 550 range were shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.

Route	Description	MBTA link
501	Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston to Brighton Center	Template:MBTA bus EL
504	Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston to Watertown Yard	Template:MBTA bus EL
505	Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston to Waltham Center	Template:MBTA bus EL
553	Newton Corner to Roberts (Brandeis/Roberts station)	Template:MBTA bus EL
554	Newton Corner to Waverley Square	Template:MBTA bus EL
556	Newton Corner to Waltham Highlands	Template:MBTA bus EL
558	Newton Corner to Riverside station	Template:MBTA bus EL

Privately operated routes

The MBTA provides partial funding for several suburban bus lines located beyond its primary service region, which connect to the MBTA transit network. Commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were originally operated by private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines before being acquired by the MBTA. Local circulator services, designated by non-numeric identifiers, are established by municipalities with financial assistance from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are contracted out to private operators.

Route	Description	MBTA connection	Operator
Template:MBTABus	Point Shirley in Winthrop to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system via Revere Street	Template:MBTA bus EL	Paul Revere Transportation
Template:MBTABus	Point Shirley in Winthrop to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system via Winthrop Center	Template:MBTA bus EL
714	Hull’s Pemberton Point to Station Street in Hingham, Massachusetts	Template:MBTA bus EL	DPV Transportation
716	(Cobbs Corner) to REDIRECT Template:Boston transportation system	Template:MBTA bus EL
BED	Local transit service in Bedford, Massachusetts	Link	Town of Bedford
(BEV)	City of Beverly Shuttle service	Link	CATA
LEX	'Lexpress' system in Lexington, Massachusetts (4 routes)	Link	Town of Lexington
MIS	'LINK' service in Mission Hill, Boston	Link	Volunteers

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External links

• MBTA – Bus schedules and maps