Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division| Company type | Public 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 transit services, including local, express, crosstown, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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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 (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts, providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other bus services within the MBTA system. Numerous routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 of these routes, while four are operated by private contractors, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is $1.70 for a one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express bus routes include both local and express segments, charging $1.70 for local travel and $4.25 for express rides into downtown Boston.
Bus operations were interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic but had returned to pre-pandemic service levels by 2021, although some routes remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network redesign planned for completion by 2028, with initial modifications starting in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit services. It is divided into two main segments: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), which runs primarily on surface streets. Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to subway rates, while Washington Street routes use standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those on Waterfront routes feature hybrid technology with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
Service on SL5 commenced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The SLW shuttle began operating in 2004, followed by SL2 and SL3 also in 2004; SL1 started in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. The SL4 route was introduced in 2009 after a proposed tunnel project was canceled. In 2018, a new SL3 extension to Chelsea was launched.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop service linking key subway and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched with three crosstown lines in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most having their origins as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have remained mostly unchanged since the BERy period, despite some minor consolidations and additions during the M.T.A. and MBTA administrations.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve the western suburban areas including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to acquisitions from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers that had previously been retired.
Fourteen routes – , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were recognized as key bus routes in 2004. These high-ridership lines complement the subway system by offering frequent service through the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The key bus route classification is being gradually eliminated starting in 2024 as part of the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign, transitioning to a wider frequent-route framework. Routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips operating between outlying stations and across various local routes. Designed primarily for station personnel, these trips are accessible to all riders and are internally numbered 191–194 but displayed as variants of local routes.
... [list continues similarly for remaining routes] ...
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate in the Melrose vicinity, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA jurisdiction. Route 132 was obtained from Service Bus Lines in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for early morning CT3 operations that were reduced from Logan Airport in 2002. Earlier routes numbered in the 170s served industrial zones but had brief operational spans.
201–202
Initially established by the M.T.A. in 1962 as the 20 belt route, derived from BERY’s original lines, this service was rebranded in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to clearly distinguish the loop travel directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate primarily within Quincy and trace their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA network in 1968. Following the introduction of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit stations, predominantly at .
350–354
These routes serve the Burlington and Woburn regions and originate from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston corridor. The MBTA took over this line in 1968 and shortly thereafter shortened its extent to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Covering Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes primarily consist of former Service Bus Lines routes (411, 430) acquired in 1975, along with mainly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes integrated in 1968. On weekends, some Haymarket-bound routes offer shortened trips ending at Wonderland station, designated by a W suffix.
501–558
These express lines provide service between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension into Boston. The 550 series traces its origins to Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes serving Newton Corner, which were extended downtown in the 1960s before MBTA acquisition 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 system that connect with MBTA services. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were formerly managed by private companies and later acquired: Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages route 716.
Routes without numerical designations serve as local circulators established by municipalities, receiving some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are operated under private contracts.
