Bus routes operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus system| 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 |
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| Products | Bus services, Bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Every route connects with either the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Numerous routes trace their origins to former streetcar networks operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit firms such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA oversees operations on 147 routes directly, while four are managed by private contractors, alongside four additional suburban services partially subsidized by the MBTA.
The standard one-way fare for most buses is $1.70 as of 2024. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the typical subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services include a local segment at the regular bus fare and an express highway segment costing $4.25 per trip.
Service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, most routes were reinstated to pre-pandemic service levels by 2021, though some remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network overhaul, aiming for completion by 2028. The initial phase was launched in December 2024 to enhance service frequency and route effectiveness.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six routes forming a bus rapid transit network promoted as rapid transit. It features two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), which runs on surface streets. Waterfront routes apply subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; Waterfront routes utilize hybrid buses equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation inside tunnels.
The SL5 route began in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle started service in 2004, alongside the original SL2 and SL3 routes; SL1 followed in 2005 with dual-mode buses. The SL4 was introduced in 2009 to substitute a canceled Phase III tunnel project. A new SL3 line to Chelsea commenced operations in 2018.
Crosstown
Two crosstown (CT) lines provide limited-stop connections linking significant subway and bus transfer hubs. Initially three routes were established in 1994; however, route CT1 merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes constitute the primary local transit service within the metropolitan center, many tracing their origins to streetcar lines once operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, this network has largely persisted since the BERy period, evolving through the Metropolitan Transit Authority and ultimately becoming part of the MBTA system.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —cover western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines descend from services acquired in 1972 from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes—, , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes. Characterized by high ridership, these lines complement subway services by delivering frequent transit to densely populated urban neighborhoods. Starting in 2024, the MBTA is phasing out the "key bus route" label in favor of a wider frequent route network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips (191–194) run between outlying stations and over sections of various local routes. These trips primarily serve station agents but are accessible to all riders.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose vicinity and originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA in 1968. The discontinued 136 and active 137 once extended briefly to their original endpoints in Lowell and Lawrence. Route 132 was previously operated by Service Bus Lines until MBTA took over in 1975.
171
Route 171 functions as a limited-service substitute for early morning CT3 trips that were truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series provided brief service to industrial zones.
201–202
The original 20 belt route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 from remnants of BERy’s former routes 20 and 21. In 2005, it was divided into routes 201 and 202 to better indicate loop travel directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy, Massachusetts region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that the MBTA acquired in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit stations, predominantly .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn areas, these routes descend from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston corridor, which the MBTA took over in 1968 and subsequently shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes encompass former Service Bus Lines services (411, 430) acquired in 1975 as well as Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines from 1968. Weekend short-turn versions, marked with a W suffix, conclude at Wonderland station.
501–558
These limited-stop services provide connections between Newton and Boston's downtown area via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series in the 1960s to utilize the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series evolved from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes terminating at Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and later incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; these routes were shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes beyond its main network that connect with MBTA services. Routes numbered 712 through 716 are radial commuter lines formerly run by private companies—specifically, Rapid Transit Inc. operated 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation managed 714, and Hudson Bus Lines ran 716.
Routes without numbers function as local circulators initiated by municipalities with some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all such services are operated by private contractors.
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