Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving the 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, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus transit services, including local routes, Silver Line BRT, express routes, crosstown routes |
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| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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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 in Massachusetts, all of which provide connections to the MBTA subway, Commuter Rail, or other bus lines within the MBTA system. Many of these routes have their origins in former streetcar lines or suburban transit providers such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA operates 147 of these routes directly, while four are run by private contractors under agreement, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
The standard local fare for most bus trips is $1.70 one-way as of 2024. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the subway fare set at $2.40. Express buses incorporate a dual fare structure: a local segment charged at the regular bus fare and an express segment on highways costing $4.25.
Bus services experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but were mostly restored by 2021, although some routes have been discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in a comprehensive redesign of the bus network, with full implementation anticipated by 2028. The initial phase of this redesign commenced in December 2024, focusing on enhancing service frequency and route efficiency.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit (BRT) network consisting of six routes, promoted as a rapid transit option. It is divided into two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), which runs along surface streets. The Waterfront routes charge the higher subway fare, whereas Washington Street routes maintain the standard bus fare. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; those on the Waterfront branch utilize hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to allow electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated rail line. The Shuttle service began operations in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also launched that year; SL1 started in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses capable of operating on both diesel and electric power. The SL4 route was inaugurated in 2009 after plans for a Phase III tunnel were abandoned. A new SL3 extension reaching Chelsea was opened in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes providing limited-stop service that links key subway stations and major bus transfer points across the city. Initially launched with three crosstown lines in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan core and mostly originated as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged generally in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this network has stayed largely consistent since the BERy period, despite minor consolidations and new additions introduced by the M.T.A. and MBTA.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to services 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. These high-demand lines provide frequent service complementing the subway system in Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Starting in 2024, the MBTA is replacing the key bus route designation with a more comprehensive frequent route network. Routes 28 and 39 operate using 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips running between outer stations and over segments of various local routes. Though primarily intended for station agents, these trips are available to all passengers. Internally numbered 191–194, they appear as variations of regular routes in public schedules.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 service the Melrose vicinity. These lines stem from the former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway system, which was integrated into the MBTA in 1968. The now-defunct routes 136 and 137 once extended to Lowell and Lawrence, their original endpoints. Route 132 was originally operated by Service Bus Lines before being absorbed into MBTA operations in 1975.
171
Route 171 operates as a limited-service substitute following the early morning CT3 route reduction 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, initially established by the M.T.A. in 1962 from the BERy’s 20 and 21 stubs, was renumbered in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of the loops.
210–245
Operating primarily within the Quincy, Massachusetts region, routes numbered 210 through 245 stem from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed into the MBTA in 1968. These routes were adjusted to terminate at rapid transit stations, especially , following the gradual launch of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s.
350–354
These routes cover the Burlington and Woburn regions and trace their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston line, which was taken over by the MBTA in 1968 before being shortened to serve Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes incorporate former Service Bus Lines paths (411, 430) obtained in 1975, along with mainly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines dating back to 1968. Two routes heading toward Haymarket feature weekend short-turn versions that end at Wonderland, indicated by the suffix W.
501–558
These express services link Newton, Massachusetts with downtown Boston through the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s alongside the turnpike extension, the MBTA's 500 series was designed for this corridor. The 550 series originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes terminating at Newton Corner station, later extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and absorbed by the MBTA in 1972; however, since 2020 they have been shortened back to Newton Corner.
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Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for certain suburban routes beyond its central service area that connect to MBTA lines. Routes 712 through 716 are radial commuter services that were previously run by private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages route 716.
Local circulator routes without numerical designations are established by municipalities and receive some MBTA subsidies. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these routes are operated by private contractors.
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