Bus 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 transit services, including local routes, Silver Line BRT, express routes, and crosstown routes |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region, providing connections to MBTA subway lines, Commuter Rail services, and other bus routes. Among these, 147 are operated directly by the MBTA, while four routes are managed by private contractors. Additionally, four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the fare for local bus trips is set at $1.70 one-way. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services apply a local fare for community segments and charge $4.25 for travel on express highway sections. Most service interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were resolved by 2021. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in a comprehensive bus network overhaul expected to conclude in 2028, with initial modifications rolling out in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit services. It operates two main branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which run through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street services (SL4 and SL5), which operate on surface streets. The Waterfront lines charge fares equivalent to the subway system, whereas the Washington Street lines require standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are 60-foot articulated buses; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid technology with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The SLW shuttle began service in 2004, alongside the initial SL2 and original SL3 routes. The SL1 route followed in 2005 employing dual-mode buses. After a Phase III tunnel project was canceled, the SL4 route was launched in 2009. In 2018, a new SL3 route connecting Chelsea was added.
Crosstown
Two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service connecting major subway stations and key bus transfer points. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes, one route (CT1) merged into route 1 in 2019.
Routes 1–121
These routes cover nearly all local transit within Boston’s metropolitan core and mostly trace their origins to former Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Numbered approximately clockwise from southeast to northeast, this core network has remained largely intact since the BERy era despite some consolidations and additions during both Metropolitan Transit Authority and MBTA administrations.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These originated from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines acquired in 1972 and were assigned previously unused numbers.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , and —were classified as key bus routes due to their high ridership levels. These lines provide frequent service that complements subway coverage in Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Starting in 2024, the MBTA is phasing out the "key bus" designation in favor of a wider frequent-route system. Routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round-trip services (191–194) connect outlying stations with over multiple local routes primarily to accommodate station personnel but are open to all riders.
... [Routes 8 through 121 continue similarly with emphasis on primary connections and service zones] ...
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate within the Melrose region and trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA network in 1968. Under MBTA management, routes 136 and 137 once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence but have since been discontinued. The 132 route was initially run by Service Bus Lines until the MBTA assumed control in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for early morning CT3 trips that were truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series primarily consisted of short-duration industrial shuttle services.
201–202
Originating from BERy’s original routes, the M.T.A. introduced the 20 belt route in 1962. In 2005, this service was divided into routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the directions of the loop.
210–245
The routes numbered from 210 to 245 primarily serve the Quincy area and are derived from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the gradual inauguration of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to terminate at rapid transit stations, mainly .
350–354
These services operate in the Burlington and Woburn regions, tracing their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston line, which the MBTA took over in 1968 before later scaling back to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Covering Lynn and the North Shore vicinity, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (such as 411 and 430) acquired in 1975, along with mainly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines from 1968. Weekend shortened services, indicated with a W suffix, conclude at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express lines link Newton to downtown Boston by way of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500-series routes in the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike extension. The 550-series originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services to Newton Corner, which were extended downtown during the 1960s and incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; however, these were reduced back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial subsidies for certain suburban bus lines extending beyond its primary service zone, which connect with various MBTA transit options. Routes 712 through 716 are radial commuter services originally established by private companies—specifically, Rapid Transit Inc. operated routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation managed route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines ran route 716.
Additionally, several local circulator routes identified by MBTA designations but lacking route numbers have been launched by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, these routes are privately managed under contractual agreements.
