Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Bus Division| Company type | Public transit agency division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Predecessor | Boston Elevated Railway, Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, Middlesex and Boston Street Railway |
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| Founded | 1964; 62 years ago (1964) |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus transit services |
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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's bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, providing connections to MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other MBTA bus lines. The majority of these routes evolved from former streetcar corridors originally operated by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban operators such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of these, 147 routes are directly managed by the MBTA, while four are contracted out to private operators. Furthermore, four additional suburban services receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the one-way fare for local buses is $1.70. The Silver Line routes serving the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services feature two fare zones: a local section at $1.70 and a highway express segment costing $4.25.
Bus service levels were scaled back during the COVID-19 crisis but had largely returned to near pre-pandemic capacity by 2021, although some routes remain inactive. Beginning in 2018, the MBTA embarked on an extensive redesign of its bus network, with full implementation anticipated by 2028. The first phase of these modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes forming a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit service. It operates two main branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which run through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street services (SL4, SL5), which travel along surface streets. The Waterfront routes apply subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route began in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle service was introduced in 2004, followed by SL2 and SL3 later that year; SL1 started operations in 2005 using dual-mode buses. After a canceled Phase III tunnel project, SL4 was launched in 2009. In 2018, a new SL3 route extending to Chelsea was inaugurated.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched with three crosstown routes in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most originally established as streetcar lines by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, these routes have largely preserved their original configurations since the BERy period. The Metropolitan Transit Authority assumed control in 1947, followed by the MBTA's takeover in 1964. While some minor routes were consolidated into main trunk lines, additional routes have been introduced under both M.T.A. and MBTA administration.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve the western suburban communities including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their origins to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services acquired in 1972 and were assigned numbers previously retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – such as , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were designated as key bus routes. These high-demand corridors complement the subway network by providing more frequent service to Boston's most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA's Bus Network Redesign will eliminate the key route classification while expanding the network of frequent service routes. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round trips run between outlying stations and over multiple local lines. Primarily intended for station personnel but open to all riders, these services are numbered internally as 191–194 and appear as variants of local routes in published schedules.
131–137
Serving the Melrose region, routes 131 through 137 derive from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA operation. Initially managed by Service Bus Lines before MBTA's takeover in 1975, route 132 continues to serve its corridor.
171
Route 171 operates as a limited-service replacement for early morning CT3 trips following the discontinuation of its Logan Airport segment in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series functioned briefly as industrial shuttle services.
201–202
The 20 belt route traces its origins back to 1962, evolving from BERY's routes 20 and 21. To better distinguish the loop directions, the MBTA rebranded these routes as 201 and 202 in 2005.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 serve the Quincy, Massachusetts region, having evolved from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA network in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit stations, predominantly .
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Description
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MBTA link
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350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, these routes stem from the Lowell–Boston line originally operated by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA took over this line in 1968 before later reducing its extent to Burlington.
411–465
These routes cover Lynn and the North Shore area, incorporating former Service Bus Lines routes acquired in 1975 alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes absorbed in 1968. On weekends, short-turn versions of two Haymarket routes (identified by a W suffix) terminate at Wonderland station.
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501–558
These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established during the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike’s extension, the 500 series incorporates former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines (the 550 series), which were extended into downtown Boston in that decade and later integrated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, these routes were truncated to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial subsidies for suburban transit routes extending beyond its primary network that link with MBTA services. Radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713; Nantasket Transportation runs route 714; and Hudson Bus Lines manages route 716.
Unnumbered routes function as local circulator services initiated by municipalities with some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle—which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority—all are managed by private contractors.
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Description
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Operator
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Town of Bedford |-
CATA |-
Town of Lexington |-
Volunteers |
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