Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 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 transit services, including local, express, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region, providing connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and other bus networks. The majority of these routes originated from former streetcar lines or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. Of these, the MBTA directly controls 147 routes, while four are operated under contract by private companies and another four suburban services receive partial MBTA funding.
As of 2024, the standard fare for local bus trips is $1.70 one-way. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the SLW shuttle during peak hours) apply the higher subway fare of $2.40. Express bus routes charge a local fare for community portions and $4.25 for segments traveling via highway expressways.
Although many service reductions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were reversed by 2021, some routes have yet to resume operations. Since 2018, the MBTA has been implementing a major redesign of its bus network, aiming for completion by 2028. The initial phase of this overhaul began in December 2024 to enhance route frequency and improve service patterns.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a six-route bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit service. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront line (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street line (SL4, SL5) that operates on surface streets. Waterfront routes require payment of the subway fare, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those serving Waterfront routes are hybrid models featuring extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the former Washington Street Elevated rail line. The Shuttle service launched in 2004 alongside SL2 and the original SL3 routes. SL1 commenced in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses capable of both diesel and electric power. SL4 began operations in 2009 following cancellation of the Phase III tunnel project. A new SL3 service connecting Chelsea opened in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown bus routes (CT) that provide limited-stop connections between key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Originally launched with three crosstown routes in 1994, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most having their origins as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Organized approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this system has largely preserved its original structure since the BERy period, despite undergoing mergers and expansions during the M.T.A. and MBTA administrations.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —serve the western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to former routes acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were reassigned numbers previously retired.
A total of fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes in 2004. These heavily utilized services bolster subway operations by providing frequent transit options within the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s 2024 Bus Network Redesign is gradually eliminating the “key bus route” classification while increasing the overall network of frequent service lines. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips link outlying stations to via several local routes. Primarily intended for station personnel but accessible to all riders, these trips are internally numbered 191–194 but appear as variants of local routes in public schedules.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate in the Melrose vicinity, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 once extended service briefly to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA oversight. Route 132 was initially run by Service Bus Lines before MBTA assumed control in 1975.
171
Route 171 offers limited service as a replacement for early morning CT3 trips that were discontinued from Logan Airport since 2002. Other routes in the 170 series primarily served short-term industrial zones.
201–202
Originally created in 1962 by combining BERy routes 20 and 21, the 20 belt route was divided into routes 201 and 202 in 2005 to better distinguish the loop directions.
210–245
Operating primarily around Quincy, Massachusetts, routes numbered 210 through 245 originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that the MBTA took over in 1968. Following the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services were rerouted to terminate mainly at rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
These routes cover the Burlington and Woburn regions and have their roots in the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell to Boston line. The MBTA acquired this line in 1968 and subsequently shortened it to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, these bus lines include former Service Bus Lines routes (411 and 430) that the MBTA took over in 1975, as well as primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes acquired in 1968. Weekend service to Haymarket features short-turn options designated with a W suffix, terminating at Wonderland.
501–558
These express buses run between Newton and downtown Boston utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series in the 1960s alongside the turnpike extension. The 550 series evolved from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes serving Newton Corner, which were extended downtown during the 1960s before MBTA acquisition in 1972; however, service was truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
| Route
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Description
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MBTA link
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| 501
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Brighton Center to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 504
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Watertown Yard to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 505
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Waltham Center to Federal Street & Franklin Street in Boston's Financial District
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Template:MBTA bus EL
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| 553
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'Roberts' (Brandeis/Roberts station) to Newton Corner
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' Template:MBTA bus EL
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'
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' 554
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' Waverley Square to Newton Corner
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' Template:MBTA bus EL
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'
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' 556
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' Waltham Highlands to Newton Corner
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' Template:MBTA bus EL
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'
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' 558
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' Riverside station to Newton Corner
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' Template:MBTA bus EL
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'}'}
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban transit lines beyond its primary service region that connect to the MBTA network. Routes 712 through 716 represent radial commuter services formerly managed by private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. (routes 712 and 713), Nantasket Transportation (route 714), and Hudson Bus Lines (route 716).
Local circulator routes without assigned numbers are established by local governments and receive some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these routes are managed by private contractors.
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