Bus network division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division| Company type | Public transit agency division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan region |
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| Products | Bus services, including local bus routes, express buses, Silver Line BRT |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages a network of 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region, all designed to connect with MBTA subway lines, Commuter Rail services, or other bus routes. Among these, 147 routes are directly operated by the MBTA, while four are managed through contracts with private operators. Additionally, four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
The majority of bus routes charge a local fare set at $1.70 (as of 2024). In contrast, the Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature a two-tiered fare system: passengers pay the local fare for travel within local zones and $4.25 for the express portion on highways.
Bus operations experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but had largely returned to their previous levels by 2021, although some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been undertaking an extensive bus network redesign project expected to conclude in 2028; initial modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes marketed as rapid transit services. It is divided into two main segments: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), which runs along surface streets. The Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to the subway system, whereas Washington Street routes maintain local bus fare pricing. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route replaced the Washington Street Elevated line in 2002. The Silver Line Shuttle began service in 2004, followed later that year by SL2 and SL3. The SL1 route launched in 2005 using dual-mode buses. The SL4 service started in 2009 after plans for a Phase III tunnel were canceled. A new SL3 route serving Chelsea was introduced in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop connections between key subway and bus transfer locations. Initially, three crosstown routes were introduced by the MBTA in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
Routes 1–121
These routes constitute nearly all local bus services within Boston’s metropolitan core and many have their origins in Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. They are generally numbered clockwise from southeast to northeast and have remained mostly consistent since the BERy era, notwithstanding some mergers and additions during transitions under the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) and later the MBTA.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve western suburban communities including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These stem from lines acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes due to their high ridership levels. These important corridors complement the subway network by providing frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. As part of the MBTA's Bus Network Redesign beginning in 2024, the term "key bus route" is being phased out in favor of a broader classification of frequent service corridors. Routes 28 and 39 operate with articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length.
Additionally, four early morning round trips run between outlying stations and , covering multiple local lines. These trips primarily support station agents but are open to all riders; they are internally numbered 191 through 194 but appear as variants of local routes in published schedules.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 cover the Melrose region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Under MBTA management, routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence. The 132 route was initially operated by Service Bus Lines before being absorbed into MBTA operations in 1975.
171
The 171 route functions as a limited early morning replacement for the CT3 service, which was shortened from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
Originally designated as the 20 belt route by the M.T.A. in 1962, inheriting routes from BERY, it was renumbered as routes 201 and 202 in 2005 to distinguish the direction of each loop.
210–245
The routes numbered from 210 to 245 operate within Quincy and its surrounding communities, originating from Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA network in 1968. Following the inauguration of the Red Line Braintree Branch in the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to terminate primarily at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Covering the Burlington and Woburn regions, these routes trace their origins to the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which the MBTA acquired in 1968 and subsequently truncated to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating primarily within Lynn and the North Shore, this group includes former Service Bus Lines routes (411, 430) incorporated in 1975 along with lines from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway acquired in 1968. On weekends, certain shortened runs marked with a W suffix divert service to Wonderland station instead of Haymarket.
501–558
These express services link Newton and Boston’s downtown via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s to utilize the turnpike's new extension, the 500-series routes incorporate former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines acquired by the MBTA in 1972. Routes numbered in the 550s were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner starting in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial financial support for suburban bus routes located beyond its primary service zone, which connect to the MBTA transit network. Routes numbered 712 through 716 are radial commuter services that were originally operated by private companies and later acquired: Rapid Transit Inc. manages routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation operates route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines runs route 716.
Local circulator routes without assigned numbers have been created by municipalities with some funding from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are run by private contractors.
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