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 transportation network |
|---|
| Industry | Public transit |
|---|
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
|---|
Area served | Boston metropolitan area, Massachusetts, United States |
|---|
| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
|---|
| Website | mbta.com/bus |
|---|
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus network encompasses 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, with each route providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Many of these routes trace their origins back to former streetcar operations once managed by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban operators such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly manages 147 of these routes, while four are operated under contract by private firms. Additionally, four suburban services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is set at $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the subway fare, which is $2.40. Express bus services charge $4.25 for the highway segment in 2024, though passengers pay local fare for portions of the trip served by local roads.
Bus service experienced reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic but was restored to pre-pandemic levels by 2021; however, certain routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for completion by 2028. The first phase of modifications 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 main branches: the Waterfront branch (SL1, SL2, SL3, plus the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel; and the Washington Street branch (SL4 and SL5), which runs along surface streets. Passengers on Waterfront routes pay subway fares, whereas those on Washington Street routes pay standard bus fares. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; Waterfront buses are 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. The Shuttle service began in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 that same year. SL1 started operating in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. After plans for a tunnel extension were cancelled, SL4 launched in 2009. A new SL3 service connecting to Chelsea opened in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes providing limited-stop transit between key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially, three crosstown lines were introduced in 1994; however, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes encompass nearly the entirety of local transit within the metropolitan center, with most originally established as streetcar lines by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have consistently formed a fundamental network since the BERy period, evolving through the Metropolitan Transit Authority and eventually the MBTA. Some smaller routes have been consolidated into main trunk lines, while additional routes were introduced during the M.T.A. and MBTA administrations.
A group of seven routes – , , , , , , and – service western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These routes trace back to the 1972 acquisition of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines and were reassigned numbers that had previously been retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were classified as key bus routes due to their substantial ridership figures. They provide frequent connections complementing subway service throughout Boston’s most densely populated districts. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA is replacing the "key bus route" designation with a broader frequent route network classification. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate using 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round-trip services connect outlying stations with through various local routes. These runs primarily support station agents but are accessible to all riders; they carry numbers 191–194 yet are presented as variants of local routes.
... [list continues with same format for remaining routes] ...
131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes numbered 131 through 137 originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA operation. Initially run by Service Bus Lines, route 132 was absorbed by the MBTA in 1975.
171
Route 171 functions as a limited service substitute for early morning CT3 trips that were shortened from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series operated briefly as shuttles serving industrial zones.
201–202
The original 20 belt line, introduced by the M.T.A. in 1962 and derived from BERy routes, was divided into two separate branches in 2005 for clearer navigation and rebranded as routes 201 and 202.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily cover the Quincy region. These lines were initially operated by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway prior to MBTA's takeover in 1968. After the Red Line Braintree Branch opened in the 1970s and 1980s, many of these services were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit stations such as Quincy Center.
350–354
These routes operate within the Burlington and Woburn regions, originally part of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston corridor. The MBTA assumed control in 1968 and subsequently shortened the route to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore, these lines include former Service Bus Lines (411, 430) acquired in 1975 alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes integrated in 1968. Weekend short-turn services, indicated by a W suffix, conclude at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express services link Newton with downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established by the MBTA during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension, the 550 series originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes to Newton Corner. These were extended downtown in the 1960s, acquired by the MBTA in 1972, and later reduced back to Newton Corner as of 2020.
| Route
|
Description
|
MBTA link
|
| 501
|
Federal Street & Franklin Street (Financial District)–Brighton Center
|
Template:MBTA bus EL
|
| 504
|
Federal Street & Franklin Street (Financial District)–Watertown Yard
|
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
Privately operated routes
Certain suburban routes beyond the MBTA’s central service area receive partial funding from the MBTA and provide connections to its network. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private carriers: Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages route 716.
Local circulator services without route numbers are established by municipalities and receive some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are privately run under contractual agreements.
