Bus network serving the Boston, Massachusetts region operated by the MBTA
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Network| File:MBTA logo.svg MBTA logo |
| Company type | Public transit agency |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Founded | August 1, 1964; 62 years ago (1964-08-01) |
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| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus service, including local, express, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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| Owner | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus network encompasses 151 routes serving the Boston, Massachusetts region. Every route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. A majority of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA operates 147 routes directly, while four are managed by private contractors. Additionally, four suburban services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the one-way fare for local buses is $1.70. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express buses charge $4.25 for the highway portion, with a local fare applied to segments within local zones.
Service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but was mostly reinstated by 2021, with some routes permanently removed. Since 2018, the MBTA has been planning a comprehensive overhaul of its bus system, targeting completion by 2028. The first phase of these updates began in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six routes forming a bus rapid transit network promoted as a form of rapid transit. It operates two distinct branches: the Waterfront segment (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street segment (SL4, SL5) that travels on surface streets. The Waterfront services charge fares equivalent to the subway system; meanwhile, Washington Street routes apply standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on the Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models with extended battery capabilities for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route commenced service in 2002 as a replacement for the former Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle began operating in 2004 alongside SL2 and the initial SL3 route; SL1 started in 2005 using dual-mode buses. In 2009, SL4 was introduced to substitute a canceled tunnel project. A new SL3 extension reaching Chelsea was launched in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) services providing limited-stop connections between key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes, one route—CT1—was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes primarily deliver local transit within the metropolitan center, many tracing their origins to Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely remained consistent since the BERy period, despite some minor consolidations and additions introduced during the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
A group of seven routes – , , , , , , and – operate in western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines originated from the 1972 acquisition of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services and were later assigned numbers previously retired.
Fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes in 2004. These high-demand corridors augment the subway system by offering frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s 2024 Bus Network Redesign is gradually replacing the key route classification with a more inclusive frequent route network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 employ 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips operating between outlying stations and across various local routes. While primarily intended for station staff, these trips are available to all riders. Internally labeled as routes 191–194, they appear as local route variants on published schedules.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose vicinity, originally part of former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed into the MBTA network in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA operation. Route 132 was formerly operated by Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA management in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a replacement for early morning CT3 trips that were reduced from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-lived services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The "20" belt route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 based on BERy’s original services and was redesignated as routes 201 and 202 in 2005 to differentiate loop directions more clearly.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 serve the Quincy, Massachusetts region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated 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 conclude at newly established rapid transit stations, mainly .
350–354
These services operate within Burlington and Woburn, originating from the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway that the MBTA took over in 1968. The route was later shortened to end in Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes include former Service Bus Lines routes (411, 430) acquired in 1975 as well as Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines from 1968. Weekend variants of two Haymarket routes, denoted with a W suffix, end at Wonderland.
501–558
These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series in the 1960s to take advantage of the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series has its origins in former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines to Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and later incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, these routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes that extend beyond its primary service zone and link with MBTA transit lines. The radial commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. operates 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages 716.
Routes without numerical designations are local circulator services initiated by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are run by private contractors.
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