Bus system operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus System| Company type | Public transportation |
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| Industry | Public transit |
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| Predecessor | Boston Elevated Railway, Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, Service Bus Lines |
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| Founded | 1964 |
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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 including local routes, express routes, Silver Line BRT, crosstown routes |
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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 bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Several 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 runs 147 of these routes, while four are operated by private contractors, alongside four additional suburban routes that receive partial MBTA funding.
The standard local fare for most bus services is $1.70 per one-way trip (2024). The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require the subway fare of $2.40. Express buses include both local and express segments, with the express portion costing $4.25 for a single ride (2024).
Although service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, most operations were restored to near pre-pandemic levels by 2021; however, some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing an extensive bus network redesign aimed for completion in 2028, with initial modifications launched in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six routes functioning as a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit. It has two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), operating on surface streets. Waterfront routes apply subway fare rates, while Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. Every Silver Line vehicle is an articulated model; Waterfront buses are hybrids equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route commenced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle was introduced in 2004, followed by SL2 and the initial SL3 also in 2004, and SL1 in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. The SL4 began service in 2009 after a Phase III tunnel project was canceled. A new SL3 route serving Chelsea started operations in 2018.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) lines provide limited-stop connections between key subway and bus transfer locations. Initially, three crosstown routes were launched in 1994; however, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, many tracing their lineage back to the streetcar lines of the Boston Elevated Railway. The BERy was incorporated into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947, which later evolved into the MBTA in 1964. Although there have been some consolidations and expansions, the fundamental network has remained largely consistent since the BERy period.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – operate in the western suburbs such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These services originated from the acquisition of the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes. These high-demand lines complement the subway by offering frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA is phasing out the key bus route designation in favor of a broader frequent route network. Routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips link outlying stations to by combining sections of multiple local routes. While mainly intended for station staff, these trips are accessible to all passengers. Internally numbered 191–194, they appear as variations of local routes in published schedules.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose region and are based on former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed into the MBTA in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence, their original endpoints. Route 132 was initially operated by Service Bus Lines before MBTA took over in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for early morning CT3 trips that were truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-lived shuttles serving industrial areas.
201–202
The belt route labeled 20 began in 1962 as a combination of BERy's routes 20 and 21. In 2005, MBTA divided this loop into two separate routes—201 and 202—to clarify travel directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily operate within the Quincy region, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services were adjusted to conclude at various rapid transit stations such as .
| Route
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Description
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MBTA link
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| 210
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–
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| 211
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–Squantum
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| 215
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– via West Quincy
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| 216
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Houghs Neck– via Germantown
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| 217
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–
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| Hingham Depot –
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| 222
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East Weymouth –
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| 225
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Weymouth Landing/East Braintree station –
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| 226
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Columbian Square – Braintree station (MBTA)
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| 230
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Montello station –
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| 236
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South Shore Plaza –
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| 238
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Holbrook/Randolph station –
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| 240
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Avon, Massachusetts#Transportation_and_public_services_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_routes_and_transit_stations_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Public_transit_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_service_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Public_transportation_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_routes_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Transit_stations_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_stops_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_lines_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Public_bus_service_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Public_bus_routes_in_Avon,_Massachusetts#Bus_route_240_(Avon,_Massachusetts) –
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350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn areas, these routes derive from the Lowell–Boston corridor once managed by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA took over these lines in 1968 and subsequently shortened the route to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore, these routes include former Service Bus Lines services (routes 411 and 430) acquired in 1975, alongside predominantly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines taken over in 1968. On weekends, select Haymarket routes feature abbreviated trips (indicated by a W suffix) that terminate at Wonderland station.
Marblehead–Wonderland station via Humphrey Street
Salem Depot–Template:Bts Haymarket station
Salem Depot–Wonderland station
North Beverly station–Salem Depot
Salem Depot–Wonderland station
Salem Depot–Central Square, Lynn
501–558
These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston by way of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension, the 500 series incorporates former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes (the 550 series), which were extended into downtown Boston in that decade and integrated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, these routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes beyond its primary service zone that link with its transit network. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were formerly operated by private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines before being acquired by the MBTA. Additionally, local circulator services established by municipalities with MBTA assistance are typically run under contract by private firms, with the exception of the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
External links
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