The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus network manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, Commuter Rail, or other bus lines within the system. Numerous routes trace their origins back to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban transit companies 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 services receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local fare for most bus trips is $1.70 per one-way ride. The Silver Line's waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the regular subway fare of $2.40. Express buses have a two-tier fare structure: a local segment charged at $1.70 and an express highway portion costing $4.25.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several routes experienced temporary suspensions or modifications; however, full restoration to pre-pandemic schedules occurred in 2021, except for some discontinued lines. Since 2018, the MBTA has been undertaking an extensive overhaul of its bus network, with completion anticipated by 2028. The first phase of this redesign commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes branded as rapid transit services. It is divided into two main branches: the Waterfront segment (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street segment (SL4 and SL5), operating on surface streets. Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to those of the subway system, whereas Washington Street routes maintain standard bus fare rates. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those serving the Waterfront branch are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The Shuttle service started in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also launching in 2004. SL1 began operation in 2005 using dual-mode buses. In 2009, SL4 was inaugurated as a substitute for a canceled tunnel project. A new SL3 route connecting Chelsea opened in 2018.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that offer limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes, one of these—CT1—was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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These routes predominantly cover local transit within the metropolitan center, many of which trace their origins to Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Arranged roughly in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely preserved their original structure since the BERy period, despite minor consolidations and additions during the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
Seven routes — , , , , , , and — serve western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines descend from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes acquired in 1972 and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes — including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and — were identified as key bus corridors. These high-demand services complement the subway system by offering frequent trips to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA's Bus Network Redesign commencing in 2024 will retire the "key bus" label while broadening the network of frequent routes. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round trips, numbered 191–194, operate between peripheral stations and across multiple local lines. Though primarily intended for station staff, these trips are open to all riders.
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Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose region and originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that the MBTA absorbed in 1968. The now-defunct routes 136 and 137 once extended service to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA management. Route 132 was originally operated by Service Bus Lines before being incorporated into the MBTA system in 1975.
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Route 171 operates as a low-frequency service that replaced early morning CT3 trips curtailed from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term industrial shuttle services.
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The former 20 belt route, established by the M.T.A. in 1962 based on BERy lines, was renumbered in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to distinguish loop directions around Fields Corner.
Routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily operate within the Quincy region, tracing their roots to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA system in 1968. After the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services were adjusted to end mainly at rapid transit hubs such as Quincy Center.
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Serving the Burlington and Woburn vicinity, these routes stem from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston line, which was acquired by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently truncated to Burlington.
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(Note: The original text for route 351 is "Bedford Woods Drive–Third Avenue". This is repeated multiple times here by mistake. The correct rewritten sentence should be:)
These routes operate across Lynn and the North Shore, incorporating former Service Bus Lines routes (notably 411 and 430), which joined the MBTA in 1975, alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines acquired in 1968. On weekends, abbreviated versions of some routes marked with a W suffix conclude at Wonderland station.
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These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike’s expansion into Boston. The 550 series has its origins in the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines that ran to Newton Corner, which were extended downtown in the 1960s and then incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; however, in 2020, these routes were scaled back to terminate again at Newton Corner.
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Several suburban routes, extending beyond the MBTA’s primary service zones, receive partial funding from the MBTA and link with its transit network. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages 716.
Local circulator services without route numbers are municipally initiated and partially subsidized by the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are managed by private contractors.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
