Bus network operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Network| File:MBTA logo.svg MBTA logo |
| Company type | Public transportation |
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| Industry | Public transit |
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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, and Silver Line bus rapid transit |
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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's bus network encompasses 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other bus lines. The majority of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban transit providers such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. Of these, the MBTA directly manages 147 routes, while four are operated by private contractors, and an additional four suburban services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the local bus fare is set at $1.70 per one-way trip. In contrast, the Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the $2.40 subway fare. Express buses apply a dual fare structure: $1.70 for local portions and $4.25 for express segments on highways.
Service levels were curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic but were mostly reinstated by 2021, with some routes permanently discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network overhaul aimed at completion by 2028; initial modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes forming a bus rapid transit system branded as rapid transit. It features two distinct branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel and charges subway fares; and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), running on surface streets with standard bus fares. All vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models equipped with extended battery capabilities for electric operation within tunnels.
SL5 replaced the former Washington Street Elevated in 2002. The Shuttle service was introduced in 2004, followed by SL2 and SL3 later that year; SL1 began operations in 2005 using dual-mode buses. SL4 launched in 2009 as a substitute for a canceled tunnel project. A new SL3 extension to Chelsea started service in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes offering limited-stop service that links key subway stations and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched in 1994 with three routes, one of these—CT1—was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within Boston’s central metropolitan area, many of which have origins in the former Boston Elevated Railway streetcar system. The numbering was initially assigned in a clockwise fashion from the southeast to the northeast sectors. Over time, the network progressed through the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) period and later under MBTA management since 1964, preserving a largely stable core despite some route mergers and new additions.
A group of seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve communities in the western suburbs including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines stem from the 1972 takeover of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services and were subsequently renumbered to fit into the MBTA system.
In 2004, fourteen routes—such as , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus lines. These high-frequency corridors support the subway by offering frequent connections to Boston’s most populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s 2024 Bus Network Redesign is gradually replacing this classification with a broader frequent route network concept. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses for increased capacity.
Four early-morning round trips link outlying stations with over several local routes. Although primarily designed for station staff, these trips are open to all riders and are listed as variants of regular local services in schedules.
... [List continues with same format for remaining routes] ...
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 primarily serve Melrose and are derived from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed into the MBTA in 1968. The now-defunct routes 136 and 137 once extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA operation. Route 132 originally belonged to Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA management in 1975.
171
Route 171 operates as a limited-service replacement for early morning CT3 trips discontinued from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were brief services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The belt route numbered 20 was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 by combining stubs from BERY’s original routes 20 and 21. In 2005, this single route was split into two separate routes—201 and 202—to better indicate their respective loop directions.
210–245
Covering the Quincy region, routes numbered 210 through 245 originated from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA in 1968. Initially, these routes ended at Fields Corner station. However, with the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, most of these services were rerouted to terminate at various rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
These lines operate in the Burlington and Woburn areas, tracing their origins back to the Lowell–Boston route of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which was taken over by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently shortened to Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore, these routes include former Service Bus Lines routes (411 and 430), which were integrated in 1975, along with Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines acquired in 1968. On weekends, two Haymarket routes with a W suffix operate terminating at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express services provide transit between Newton and downtown Boston, utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Originating in the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension, the 500 series incorporates former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes (specifically the 550 series), which were extended all the way to downtown Boston before being shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes beyond its main service area that link into its system. The radial commuter lines numbered 712-716 were originally operated by private companies and later acquired by the MBTA—specifically Rapid Transit Inc. for routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation for 714, and Hudson Bus Lines for 716.
Unnumbered routes serve as local circulators initiated by municipalities with MBTA assistance. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are contracted out to private operators.
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