Bus network operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston metropolitan area
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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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area, Massachusetts, United States |
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| Products | Bus services, including local, express, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's bus network encompasses 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, all providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus services. A majority of these routes originated from former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA directly manages 147 routes, while four are operated under contract by private firms; additionally, four suburban routes receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is $1.70 per trip, whereas the Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the regular subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services apply a dual-fare system: a local segment at the local fare and an express highway portion costing $4.25.
Service levels were curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic but have mostly been reinstated by 2021; however, some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, anticipated to conclude by 2028. The first phase of this redesign commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six routes operating as a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit service. It is divided into two sections: the Waterfront branch (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street branch (SL4, SL5), which runs on surface streets. The Waterfront lines charge fares equivalent to subway service; in contrast, the Washington Street lines use standard bus fares. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; those on the Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within the tunnel.
The SL5 route replaced the former Washington Street Elevated line in 2002. The Shuttle service began operating in 2004 alongside SL2 and SL3 that same year. SL1 commenced in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. The SL4 route was introduced in 2009 following the cancellation of plans for a Phase III tunnel extension. A new SL3 route serving Chelsea launched in 2018.
Crosstown
The two existing crosstown (CT) lines provide limited-stop service linking key subway and bus transfer locations. Originally launched with three crosstown routes in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all public transit within Boston’s central metropolitan region, with most originally established as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Numbered in a roughly clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this network has stayed largely stable since the BERy period, despite minor consolidations and expansions under the Metropolitan Transit Authority and later the MBTA.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —extend service into western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their origins to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes acquired in 1972, adopting previously retired route numbers.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes. These high-demand lines complement the subway system by delivering frequent service to densely inhabited neighborhoods. The MBTA's 2024 Bus Network Redesign is gradually eliminating the key route classification in favor of a wider frequent service network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round trips (191–194) link outlying stations with via segments of local routes. Primarily intended for station personnel, these trips are accessible to all riders.
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131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes 131 through 137 derive from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA operation. Route 132 began as a Service Bus Lines route before MBTA assumed control in 1975.
171
Route 171 operates as a limited-service substitute for the early morning CT3 line, which was truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes numbered in the 170s were short-term services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The 20 belt route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 by combining BERy's former routes 20 and 21. In 2005, it was split into routes 201 and 202 to clearly indicate loop directions.
210–245
The routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy, Massachusetts region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes that were integrated into the MBTA system in 1968. With the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these bus lines were adjusted to conclude their trips at rapid transit stations, predominantly at .
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350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn vicinities, these routes derive from the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which was fully acquired by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently truncated to terminate at Burlington.
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411–465
These routes operate across Lynn and the North Shore area, encompassing former Service Bus Lines (such as 411 and 430) acquired in 1975 alongside predominantly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed in 1968. Certain weekend short-turn variants, indicated by a W suffix on two Haymarket routes, terminate at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express bus lines provide a direct connection between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established by the MBTA during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's expansion, the 500 series encompasses routes initially managed by Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The 550 series routes were extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s, later assumed by the MBTA in 1972, but were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA offers partial subsidies for suburban routes beyond its main service area that link with MBTA transit. Routes numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies including Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines.
Local circulator routes without numbers are organized by municipalities with some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle—which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority—all are privately operated under contract.
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