Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority| 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 , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan region |
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| Products | Bus services, Silver Line BRT, subway, commuter rail |
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| Website | mbta.com |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) manages 151 bus routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, Commuter Rail, or other bus services within the system. Many of these routes have origins tied to historic streetcar lines or former suburban transit operators such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 of these routes, while four are operated by private contractors. Additionally, four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard fare for local buses is $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line services along the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature both local and express segments, with fares set at $1.70 for local travel and $4.25 for the express portion heading into downtown Boston.
Bus service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021, though some routes continue to be suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been undertaking a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for completion by 2028. The initial phase of this overhaul was rolled out in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system consisting of six routes and promoted as a rapid transit option. It operates on two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, plus the rush-hour SLW shuttle) which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5) that operates on surface streets. Waterfront routes apply subway fare pricing, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with enhanced battery capacity to support electric operation within tunnels.
In 2002, SL5 replaced the Washington Street Elevated rail line. The Shuttle service began in 2004, followed by SL2 and an earlier version of SL3 that same year; SL1 started operations in 2005 using dual-mode buses. After plans for a tunnel extension were canceled, SL4 commenced service in 2009. A new SL3 route connecting Chelsea was introduced in 2018.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop connections linking key subway and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes by the MBTA, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes provide the vast majority of local transit within Boston’s central metropolitan area, with many tracing their lineage back to the streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Originally numbered in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this network has mostly stayed consistent since its absorption into the MBTA in 1964, aside from some minor route mergers and expansions.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve the western suburban communities including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines originated from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway system, which was incorporated into the MBTA in 1972; their numbering was updated using previously retired designations.
In 2004, fourteen routes—such as , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were classified as key bus routes due to their high ridership. These essential lines complement subway service by offering frequent connections throughout Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. With the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign starting in 2024, the "key bus" designation is being phased out in favor of a more comprehensive frequent service network. Among these, routes 28 and 39 are notable for operating with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early-morning round trips (routes 191–194) run between outlying stations and serve sections of various local routes. Although originally designed for station staff, these trips are accessible to all riders.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate in the Melrose vicinity and are derived from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA network in 1968. The 136 route (now discontinued) and route 137 once extended service briefly to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA management. Route 132 was originally run by Service Bus Lines prior to its transfer to MBTA control in 1975.
171
Route 171 offers limited service as a replacement for early morning CT3 trips that were curtailed from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term services catering primarily to industrial zones.
201–202
Originating from BERy’s 20 and 21 loops, the 20 belt route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962. In 2005, these loops were renumbered as routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish their circulating directions.
210–245
The routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily cover the Quincy region. These lines originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway services, which the MBTA incorporated in 1968. Following the phased opening of the Red Line Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, many of these routes were adjusted to terminate at rapid transit stations, predominantly at .
350–354
Serving Burlington and Woburn, these routes trace back to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston line. This line was inherited by the MBTA in 1968 and has since been shortened to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
These routes operate throughout Lynn and the North Shore area. Two of them offer weekend short-turn variants (indicated with a W) that conclude at Wonderland station. Routes 411 and 430 were acquired from Service Bus Lines in 1975, while others originated from Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway acquisitions in 1968.
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| 439
| Route linking Nahant, Massachusetts with Wonderland Station
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| 441
| Marblehead to Wonderland Station via Massachusetts Route 1A (Paradise Road)
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| 442
| Marblehead to Wonderland Station using Humphrey Street route
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501–558
Express services numbered in the 500s connect Newton with downtown Boston by way of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s coinciding with the turnpike extension's completion. The 550 series evolved from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes that originally terminated at Newton Corner but were extended downtown in the same decade before being truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
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Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes beyond its main service boundaries that connect with its transit network. Routes numbered 712 through 716 are radial commuter lines acquired from private operators: Rapid Transit Inc. for routes 712 and 713; Nantasket Transportation for route 714; and Hudson Bus Lines for route 716.
Additionally, non-numbered services function as local circulators initiated by municipalities with MBTA funding support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle—run by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority—all are operated under private contracts.
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|'712' Point Shirley, Winthrop – Orient Heights Station via Revere Street
|'713' Point Shirley, Winthrop – Orient Heights Station via Winthrop Center
|(Both operated by Paul Revere Transportation)
|'714' Pemberton Point, Hull – Station Street, Hingham (Operated by DPV Transportation)
|'716' Cobbs Corner – Mattapan Station (Operated by DPV Transportation)
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|'BED' Bedford Local Transit – Town of Bedford – Link – Town of Bedford
|'BEV' City of Beverly Shuttle – CATA – Link – Cape Ann Transportation Authority
|'LEX' Lexington Lexpress (4 routes) – Town of Lexington – Link – Town of Lexington
|'MIS' Mission Hill LINK – Volunteers – Link – Volunteers
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External links
