Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Bus Division| Company type | Public agency |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Founded | 1964; 62 years ago (1964) |
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| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus services, Bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates its bus division across 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Each bus line provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus routes. Numerous services trace their origins to former streetcar lines once managed by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban operators such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of these routes, 147 are directly managed by the MBTA, while four are operated by private contractors, alongside an additional four suburban routes receiving partial MBTA funding.
As of 2024, most bus rides require a local fare of $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40 for a single trip. Express buses have a two-tier fare system: the local segment costs the standard local fare, while the express highway portion is priced at $4.25 per one-way ride.
Service frequency was significantly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic but has mostly returned to pre-pandemic standards by 2021, though some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been rolling out an extensive bus network overhaul expected to conclude in 2028, with initial modifications commencing in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes operating as a bus rapid transit system designed to function similarly to rapid transit. It consists of two main segments: the Waterfront branch (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle) that travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street branch (SL4 and SL5), which runs on surface streets. Waterfront services charge fares equivalent to subway rides; meanwhile, Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. The entire Silver Line fleet features articulated 60-foot buses; those serving the Waterfront routes are hybrid vehicles equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route debuted in 2002 as a replacement for the former Washington Street Elevated. The SLW shuttle began service in 2004, followed later that year by SL2 and SL3. The SL1 route launched in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. After plans for a tunnel extension were canceled, SL4 started operating in 2009. In 2018, a new SL3 route was introduced to serve Chelsea.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown bus routes known as crosstown (CT) lines that provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer points. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes, one of these—CT1—was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center and mostly originated as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, these lines have largely remained consistent since the BERy period, with only minor consolidations and expansions occurring during the Metropolitan Transit Authority and MBTA eras.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve the western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their roots back to services acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers that had been previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes. These high-frequency lines complement the subway system by providing frequent connections to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA's upcoming 2024 Bus Network Redesign will retire this classification while expanding the network of frequent service routes. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate using 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips running between outlying stations and , crossing several local routes. Although originally intended for station staff, these trips are open to all riders and are internally numbered 191–194 but appear as variants of local routes.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose vicinity, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management. Initially, route 132 was operated by Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA control in 1975.
171
Route 171 operates as a limited-service line substituting early morning CT3 trips after its Logan Airport extension was curtailed in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The belt loop known as route 20 was created by the M.T.A. in 1962 from former BERy lines and was renumbered in 2005 to routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish directional travel around Fields Corner.
210–245
The routes numbered 210 through 245 predominantly serve the Quincy region and trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the gradual inauguration of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these bus lines were adjusted to conclude at various rapid transit stops such as .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn vicinity, routes 350 through 354 originate from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston line, which was taken over by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating across Lynn and the North Shore region, this group of routes includes former Service Bus Lines (411, 430) acquired in 1975 as well as Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines from 1968. On weekends, shortened service variants marked with a W suffix conclude at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express bus lines provide service between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension, the 500 series incorporates former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes (550 series), which were extended into downtown Boston during that decade and later acquired by the MBTA in 1972. In 2020, these routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
Several suburban routes beyond the MBTA’s central service area receive partial financial support from the MBTA and connect with its transit network. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were originally operated by private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc. (routes 712/713), Nantasket Transportation (714), and Hudson Bus Lines (716) before being integrated into MBTA service.
Local circulator routes without numerical designations are established by municipalities with some MBTA funding. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all of these services are operated by private contractors.
