Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Division| Company type | Public transit agency division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Predecessor | Metropolitan Transit Authority, Boston Elevated Railway, Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, Service Bus Lines, Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, Hudson Bus Lines |
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| Founded | 1964 |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan region |
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| Products | Bus transit services including local routes, express routes, Silver Line BRT, crosstown lines, suburban routes |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region, each linking to MBTA subway lines, Commuter Rail, or other bus connections. Many of these routes originated from former streetcar lines or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly operates 147 of these routes, while four are run 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 per one-way trip. The Silver Line's waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the subway fare at $2.40. Express buses charge the local fare plus an extra $4.25 for highway travel segments. Service levels that had been scaled back during the COVID-19 pandemic were mostly restored by 2021; however, certain routes remain out of service. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network redesign with full rollout anticipated by 2028; initial modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line consists of six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit options. It is divided into two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which operates via the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), which runs along surface streets. The Waterfront routes require payment of subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All vehicles in the Silver Line fleet are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those on Waterfront routes are hybrid models capable of extended battery-electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route replaced the Washington Street Elevated line in 2002. The SLW shuttle began operations in 2004, followed later that year by the introduction of SL2 and SL3 services. The SL1 started in 2005 using dual-mode buses. The SL4 route was launched in 2009 after cancellation of a planned Phase III tunnel project. In 2018, a new SL3 extension to Chelsea was opened.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) lines provide limited-stop service connecting major subway stations and key bus transfer points. Initially, three crosstown routes were introduced in 1994; however, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
Routes 1–121
These routes cover nearly all local transit within Boston’s metropolitan core and many have roots tracing back to Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. The Boston Elevated Railway transitioned into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947 and was reorganized as the MBTA in 1964. While some minor route changes and consolidations have occurred over time, the central network largely remains intact with additional routes introduced during both M.T.A. and MBTA periods.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve western suburbs such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These originated from acquisitions of former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines in 1972 and were assigned previously unused route numbers.
In 2004, fourteen routes— , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were designated as key bus routes due to their high ridership levels. These lines provide frequent service complementing subway coverage within densely populated urban areas. The MBTA’s ongoing 2024 Bus Network Redesign is phasing out the “key route” classification while expanding the network of frequent service corridors. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Additionally, four early morning round trips run between outlying stations and over several local lines primarily for station agents but open to all riders; these trips are internally numbered 191–194 but appear as local route variants on schedules.
... [list continues similarly for remaining routes] ...
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate within the Melrose vicinity and trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA network in 1968. Among these, route 136 (now discontinued) and route 137 once extended service to Lowell and Lawrence, which were their initial endpoints. The 132 route was originally run by Service Bus Lines until the MBTA assumed control in 1975.
171
Route 171 offers limited early morning trips connecting Logan Airport terminals with , taking over from the former CT3 route which was shortened in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were transient services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The original 20 belt route, created in 1962 by combining the previous BERy routes 20 and 21, was rebranded in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the loop directions around Fields Corner.
210–245
The series of routes from 210 to 245 primarily serve Quincy and are based on former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that joined the MBTA system in 1968. With the gradual expansion of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to end at rapid transit stations, predominantly .
350–354
These lines provide service to the Burlington and Woburn regions, tracing their origins back to the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA took over these routes in 1968 and subsequently reduced their extent to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, this group includes two routes with weekend short-turn options (marked with suffix W) that end at Wonderland station. The 411 and 430 lines originated from Service Bus Lines, which the MBTA acquired in 1975, while the remainder stem from Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes absorbed in 1968.
501–558
These express services connect Newton with downtown Boston by way of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The 500-series routes were introduced by the MBTA during the 1960s to utilize the newly extended turnpike. The 550-series has its roots in Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines that ran to Newton Corner; these were extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s and incorporated by the MBTA in 1972, but were later truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
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| 501
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Brighton Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street (Financial District)
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| 504
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Watertown Yard–Federal Street & Franklin Street (Financial District)
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| 505
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Waltham Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street (Financial District)
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| 553
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Roberts (Brandeis/Roberts station)–Newton Corner
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Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for several suburban bus lines beyond its central service area, which connect to MBTA transit options. The radial commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were originally owned by private companies—specifically, Rapid Transit Inc. operated routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation managed route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines ran route 716.
Local circulator services that do not have assigned numbers are typically launched by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, these services are all contracted out to private operators.
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