Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
MBTA Bus Division| Company type | Division of a public agency |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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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 (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/schedules/bus |
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The MBTA bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and additional bus networks. Many of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit providers such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. Out of these, the MBTA directly runs 147 routes; four are operated under contract by private firms, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is set at $1.70 for a one-way trip. The Silver Line’s waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare rate of $2.40. Express services incorporate a two-tier fare system: $1.70 for local segments and $4.25 for express highway travel.
Bus operations experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but had returned to their pre-pandemic service levels by 2021, although certain routes remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in an extensive bus network overhaul, targeting a completion date in 2028; initial modifications commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit options, divided into two main branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which run through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street services (SL4, SL5), which operate on surface streets. The Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to subway rates, whereas Washington Street routes maintain standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those servicing the Waterfront are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to facilitate electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route replaced the former Washington Street Elevated line in 2002. The Shuttle service was introduced in 2004, followed by SL2 and SL3 later that year. SL1 began operations in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. After a planned tunnel extension was cancelled, SL4 was launched in 2009. In 2018, a new SL3 route connecting Chelsea was inaugurated.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service linking key subway and bus transfer hubs. Initially, three crosstown routes were introduced by the MBTA in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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1–121
These routes represent the fundamental local transit network within the metropolitan region, many tracing their origins to former Boston Elevated Railway streetcar corridors. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, their numbering has remained mostly stable since the BERy period, despite some consolidations and expansions overseen by the Metropolitan Transit Authority and later by the MBTA.
Seven lines – , , , , , , and – provide service to western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These routes were inherited from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were reassigned numbers that had previously been retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes. These high-demand lines complement the subway system by offering frequent connections to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA is transitioning away from the key route label towards a more comprehensive frequent service network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips link outlying stations with across various local lines. Although primarily intended for station staff, these trips are open to all riders. Internally designated as routes 191–194, they appear publicly as variants of local routes.
131–137
The Melrose vicinity is served by routes numbered 131 through 137, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway services absorbed into the MBTA in 1968. Routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence during MBTA operation. Route 132 was incorporated into the MBTA system after acquisition from Service Bus Lines in 1975.
171
Route 171 operates as a low-frequency service substituting for early morning CT3 trips that were truncated from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term industrial shuttle services.
201–202
Originally formed by the M.T.A. in 1962 from the BERY's 20 and 21 branches, the 20 belt route was renamed in 2005 to routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of the loops.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 to 245 serve the Quincy, Massachusetts region and trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines taken over by the MBTA in 1968. Following expansions of the Braintree Branch throughout the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were modified to end at Red Line stations.
350–354
Serving Burlington and Woburn, these routes descend from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston line, which the MBTA acquired in 1968 before truncating service to Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes incorporate former Service Bus Lines paths (411, 430) acquired in 1975, along with many routes originally operated by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway since 1968. On weekends, shortened trips (denoted as W) operate between Haymarket and Wonderland stations.
501–558
These express routes connect Newton with downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series in the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's expansion. The 550 series traces its origins to Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes serving Newton Corner; these were extended downtown in the 1960s, taken over by MBTA in 1972, and later truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately Operated Services
The MBTA provides partial funding for certain suburban routes beyond its primary service zone that link to the MBTA transit network. Routes 712 through 716 are radial commuter lines originally purchased from private companies—specifically, Rapid Transit Inc. operated routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation managed route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines ran route 716.
Routes without assigned numbers function as local circulator services launched by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. These are all managed by private contractors except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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