Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
MBTA Bus Division| Company type | Division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus transit services, including Silver Line BRT |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The MBTA bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, integrating with the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other MBTA bus lines. The majority of these routes trace their origins to historic streetcar systems from the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban operators such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of these, 147 routes are operated directly by the MBTA, while four are contracted out to private operators. Additionally, four suburban services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the local bus fare is set at $1.70 for a one-way trip. The Silver Line services along the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express bus routes charge $4.25 for the express highway segment while maintaining the local fare for their local portions.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused interruptions in service, but by 2021 most routes had returned to near pre-pandemic operation levels, although some remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in an extensive redesign of its bus network with a target completion date in 2028. The first phase of this redesign was implemented in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes forming a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront branch (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle) which travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street branch (SL4 and SL5) that runs on surface streets along Washington Street. Waterfront services charge fares equivalent to subway rates; meanwhile, Washington Street routes require standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on the Waterfront branch utilize hybrid buses equipped with extended battery capacity to operate electrically within the tunnel.
The SL5 service commenced in 2002 as a replacement for the former Washington Street Elevated. The SLW shuttle began operating in 2004, alongside early versions of SL2 and SL3 that same year. SL1 launched in 2005 using dual-mode buses. Following cancellation of a Phase III tunnel extension plan, SL4 started service in 2009. A new SL3 route connecting to Chelsea was introduced in 2018.
Crosstown
Two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service linking key subway and bus transfer locations. When introduced by the MBTA in 1994, there were three crosstown routes; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes constitute the primary local transit services within the metropolitan center, many of which have their roots in the streetcar lines once operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged roughly in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, their numbering and general alignments have remained stable since the BERy period, evolving through the Metropolitan Transit Authority and eventually under the MBTA. Some smaller routes were consolidated into main trunk lines, while additional routes were introduced during the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – cater to the western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines originated from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services acquired in 1972 and subsequently renumbered.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes. These heavily utilized lines provide frequent connections complementing the subway system, serving densely populated urban neighborhoods. The MBTA's 2024 Bus Network Redesign is phasing out this classification in favor of a more extensive frequent service network. Routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips (191–194) link peripheral stations with through various local routes. Primarily intended for station personnel, these trips are accessible to all riders.
... [Entries continue similarly for all listed routes] ...
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose vicinity, tracing back to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA operation. Route 132 was initially operated by Service Bus Lines until its acquisition by the MBTA in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for the early morning CT3 route, which was truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series operated briefly as shuttles serving industrial zones.
201–202
The '20 belt' route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962, evolving from BERy’s original routes 20 and 21 segments. In 2005, it was divided into two separate services—routes 201 and 202—to better clarify their opposing loop directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within Quincy and its neighboring communities. These lines trace their origins back to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway services that the MBTA took over in 1968. After the Red Line's Braintree Branch opened in stages during the 1970s and 1980s, many of these routes were adjusted to conclude mainly at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, routes 350 through 354 originally stem from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell to Boston line, which the MBTA took control of in 1968. Over time, this route was shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes incorporate former Service Bus Lines routes (such as 411 and 430) acquired in 1975, alongside primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines taken over in 1968. On weekends, shortened versions of some routes—indicated by a W suffix—terminate at Wonderland station.
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501–558
These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston, utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) corridor. The MBTA launched the 500 series during the 1960s to capitalize on the newly extended turnpike into Boston. The 550 series traces its origins to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes terminating at Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s and later incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; however, these routes were truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
Several suburban routes beyond the MBTA's primary service region receive partial funding from the MBTA and connect with its transit network. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were formerly operated by private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. managed routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation ran route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines handled route 716. Additionally, there are unnumbered local circulator services established by municipalities with MBTA assistance. Most of these are run by private contractors except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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Description
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Operator
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|- |BED |Local transit serving Bedford, Massachusetts |Town of Bedford
|- |BEV |City shuttle for Beverly, Massachusetts |CATA
|- |LEX |Lexpress service in Lexington, Massachusetts (4 routes) |Town of Lexington
|- |MIS |LINK circulator in Mission Hill, Boston |Volunteers
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External links
