Bus network operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division| Company type | Public transit agency division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan region, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus services, including local bus routes, Silver Line BRT, express buses |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages a network of 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway system, Commuter Rail lines, or other MBTA bus services. Many of these routes have historical roots, evolving from the former Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA directly operates 147 of these routes, while four are contracted out to private operators. Additionally, four suburban bus lines receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
The prevailing local fare for most bus trips is $1.70 per one-way ride as of 2024. The Silver Line services along the waterfront (routes SL1, SL2, SL3, and the peak-hour SLW shuttle) charge fares equivalent to the subway at $2.40. Express buses apply local fares within individual communities but impose a higher $4.25 fare for segments traveled on express highways.
Bus operations experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, service levels largely returned to pre-pandemic standards by 2021, although some routes continue to be suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been working on an extensive redesign of its bus network, with full implementation anticipated by 2028. The first phase of modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system consisting of six routes, promoted as rapid transit service. It operates two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel; and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), which operates on surface streets. Fares on Waterfront routes are aligned with subway pricing, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are 60-foot articulated buses; those serving Waterfront routes are hybrids equipped with extended battery capacity to allow electric operation within the tunnel.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated train line. The Shuttle began operations in 2004 alongside SL2 and the original SL3 route that same year. SL1 started in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. Following the cancellation of the Phase III tunnel project, SL4 was launched in 2009. A new SL3 service extending to Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially, three crosstown lines were introduced in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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1–121
These routes encompass nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most having their origins as Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Arranged approximately in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely persisted unchanged since the BERy period, adapting through transitions involving the Metropolitan Transit Authority and later the MBTA.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , among others—were identified as key bus routes due to their significant ridership levels. These routes complement subway service by providing frequent connections in densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign, beginning in 2024, will discontinue this specific classification while broadening the network of high-frequency routes. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round-trip services link outlying stations to via multiple local lines. Primarily intended for station personnel but accessible to all passengers, these trips are internally numbered 191–194 and appear as route variants on published schedules.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 primarily serve the Melrose vicinity and originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed by the MBTA in 1968. While route 136 has been discontinued, route 137 once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA operation. Route 132 was incorporated into the MBTA system in 1975 after being previously managed by Service Bus Lines.
171
Route 171 provides limited early morning service as a replacement for the former CT3 route, which was shortened from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series historically catered to industrial zones but generally had short operational spans.
201–202
Originating from the legacy routes of BERy, the 20 belt line was introduced by the M.T.A. in 1962. In 2005, it was split into routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the directional loops around Fields Corner.
210–245
Serving the Quincy region, routes numbered 210 through 245 trace their origins to former lines of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. With the phased inauguration of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to primarily conclude at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Covering areas around Burlington and Woburn, these routes originated from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston corridor. Acquired by the MBTA in 1968, this service was eventually shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes encompass former Service Bus Lines paths (411, 430) acquired in 1975, along with primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes dating back to 1968. On weekends, select short-turn variations (marked with a W suffix) on two Haymarket routes conclude at Wonderland.
501–558
These express services link Newton with downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series in the 1960s as a means to capitalize on the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series has its origins in Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes terminating at Newton Corner station; these were extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and incorporated into MBTA operations in 1972. However, in 2020, these routes were truncated back to Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban transit lines extending beyond its main service region that connect to the MBTA network. Routes 712 through 716 are radial commuter services that were acquired from private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation manages route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines runs route 716.
Unnumbered routes function as local circulators established by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these routes are operated by private contractors.
| Route
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Description
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Connection
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Operator
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BED
Local Transit serving Bedford, Massachusetts
Link
Town of Bedford
Cape Ann Transportation Authority (BEV)
City Shuttle for Beverly, Massachusetts
Link
CATA
LEX
Lexpress (four routes) in Lexington, Massachusetts
Link
Town of Lexington
MIS
LINK service in Mission Hill, Boston
Link
Volunteers
External links
