Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 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 area, Massachusetts |
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| Products | Bus transit services, including Silver Line bus rapid transit |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, all designed to connect with the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. A majority of these routes trace their origins to historic streetcar networks operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of the total, the MBTA directly runs 147 routes; four are operated under contract by private firms, with an additional four suburban routes partially funded by the MBTA.
Fare structures differ by service type: standard local bus trips cost $1.70 per ride (as of 2024), Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge $2.40 aligning with subway fares, while express buses implement a dual-fare system—$1.70 for the local portion and $4.25 for the express segment.
Operations experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but were fully reinstated by 2021, although some routes remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been undertaking a comprehensive bus network overhaul scheduled for completion in 2028; the first phase began in December 2024 with goals to enhance service frequency and optimize routing.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six distinct routes forming a bus rapid transit network promoted as rapid transit service. It features two main branches: the Waterfront corridor (SL1, SL2, SL3, plus the rush-hour SLW shuttle) that operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street corridor (SL4 and SL5), which runs on surface streets. Waterfront services apply subway fare rates, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated, followed by the SLW shuttle in 2004, along with SL2 and the original SL3 also commencing that year. SL1 began service in 2005 using dual-mode buses. The SL4 route started in 2009 after cancellation of Phase III tunnel development plans. In 2018, a new SL3 route connecting to Chelsea was inaugurated.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially launched with three crosstown lines in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes encompass almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most having evolved from Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Arranged approximately in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, their fundamental network has remained largely intact since the BERy period, through the Metropolitan Transit Authority's establishment in 1947 and the MBTA's formation in 1964. Some smaller routes have been consolidated into main trunk lines, while additional routes were introduced during the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve the western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their origins to the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes acquired in 1972 and were renumbered using previously retired designations.
In 2004, fourteen routes—, , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus services. These high-frequency lines support the subway system by offering frequent transit to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign beginning in 2024 is gradually replacing this classification with a broader frequent route network concept. Routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses for service.
Four early morning round trips (191–194) provide connections between outlying stations and over multiple local routes; these trips primarily serve station personnel but are accessible to all riders.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate within the Melrose vicinity, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA management. Route 132 was initially run by Service Bus Lines before being taken over by the MBTA in 1975.
171
Route 171 functions as a limited-service substitute for early morning CT3 operations that were shortened from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes within the 170 series were brief industrial shuttle services.
201–202
The number 20 belt route was created in 1962 by the M.T.A. from remnants of BERy services; it was redesignated as routes 201 and 202 in 2005 to better distinguish loop directions.
210–245
The 210 to 245 series of routes operate within the Quincy area, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA in 1968. After the inauguration of the Red Line Braintree Branch in the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to primarily conclude 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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– passing through West Quincy
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| 216
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Houghs Neck– via Germantown neighborhood
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| 217
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–
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| 220
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Hingham, Massachusetts Depot–
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| 222
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Weymouth, Massachusetts East Weymouth–
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| 225
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From Weymouth Landing/East Braintree station–
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| 226
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Weymouth, Massachusetts Columbian Square–Braintree station
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| 230
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From Montello station–
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| 236
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South Shore Plaza–
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| 238
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Holbrook/Randolph station–
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| 240
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From Avon, Massachusetts Square–
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| 245
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–
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350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, these routes descend from the Lowell–Boston corridor once operated by Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and taken over by the MBTA in 1968, with service later scaled back to Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes incorporate former Service Bus Lines services acquired in 1975 alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed in 1968. Weekend service includes short-turn trips to Haymarket that terminate at Wonderland.
501–558
These express bus routes provide service 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 encompasses routes initially run by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, which the MBTA assumed control of in 1972. In 2020, routes in the 550 range were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA offers partial funding for suburban routes beyond its primary service region that connect to MBTA transit lines. The radial commuter lines numbered 712–716 were taken over from private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines. Local circulator services are typically established by municipalities with some MBTA financial support and are operated under contract by private firms, except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is run by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
External links
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