Bus network operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the 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 |
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| Products | Bus services, including local routes, Silver Line BRT, express routes, and crosstown routes |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
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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, all of which provide connections to the MBTA subway system, Commuter Rail lines, or other MBTA bus services. The majority of these routes trace their origins back to historic streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and various suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of the total routes, 147 are directly managed by the MBTA, while four are outsourced to private operators, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
The current local bus fare is set at $1.70 per one-way trip (as of 2024). The Silver Line routes servicing the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle) charge the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express buses apply two fare levels: a local segment at the standard local fare and a highway express portion priced at $4.25.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, bus services were either reduced or modified but were restored to pre-pandemic frequencies by 2021, although some routes were permanently discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive redesign of its bus network aimed for completion in 2028, with initial phases commencing in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line represents a six-route bus rapid transit (BRT) system promoted as a form of rapid transit. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the peak-period SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel; and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), which runs along surface streets. Fares on the Waterfront routes align with subway pricing, while Washington Street routes maintain regular bus fare levels. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those on the Waterfront branch utilize hybrid buses equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The Shuttle service began in 2004, followed by the former SL2 and SL3 services later that year. The SL1 commenced in 2005 featuring dual-mode buses capable of operating both electrically and on diesel. The SL4 route was inaugurated in 2009 after plans for a Phase III tunnel were canceled. An additional SL3 route extending to Chelsea launched in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Originally launched with three crosstown routes 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 many originally established as streetcar lines by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately clockwise from the southeast to northeast, they extend from South Boston to East Boston. The BERy was incorporated into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947, which later transformed into the MBTA in 1964. Despite some consolidations and expansions, the fundamental network has remained mostly consistent.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to the 1972 acquisition of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes, which were subsequently renumbered using previously retired designations.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus corridors. These high-demand routes support the subway system by providing frequent service to the most densely populated urban neighborhoods. Starting in 2024, the MBTA's Bus Network Redesign is gradually eliminating the key route classification in favor of a wider frequent route network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
There are four early morning round trips running between outlying stations and , traveling segments of various local routes. Primarily intended for station staff but accessible to all riders, these trips are internally numbered 191–194 but appear in schedules as local route variants.
131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes 131 through 137 originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were absorbed by the MBTA in 1968. The now-defunct routes 136 and 137 once briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management. Route 132 began as a Service Bus Lines operation before being incorporated into MBTA services in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited early morning service as a replacement for the former CT3 route, which was truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other services numbered in the 170s mainly operated briefly in industrial zones.
201–202
The original 20 belt route, established by the M.T.A. in 1962 as a continuation of BERy’s former lines, was reclassified in 2005 into routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the loop directions.
210–245
Serving the Quincy region, routes numbered 210 through 245 trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Following the staged introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, many of these routes were redirected to conclude primarily at 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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350–354
These routes operate within the Burlington and Woburn regions, originally part of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston line. This service was taken over by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently truncated to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore, these lines include former Service Bus Lines (routes 411 and 430) acquired in 1975, as well as primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes absorbed in 1968. Two services feature weekend short-turn variants (indicated by a W suffix) that end at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express services link Newton with downtown Boston along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to capitalize on the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes to Newton Corner, which were extended downtown in the 1960s and incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; in 2020, these were scaled back to terminate once again at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes located outside its primary service zone that connect to the MBTA transit network. Radial commuter lines 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 without route numbers are launched by local municipalities and receive some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are privately run under contractual agreements.
