As of 2024, the local bus fare is set at $1.70 for a one-way trip. The Silver Line services along the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) require payment of the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature a two-tier fare system: passengers pay the local fare for travel within local zones and $4.25 for the express highway segment.
Although service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, most operations were reinstated by 2021; however, some lines remain inactive. Since 2018, a comprehensive bus network redesign has been underway, targeting full implementation by 2028, with initial modifications introduced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit service. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront service (routes SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), operating along surface streets. Waterfront routes require payment of subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
Route SL5 replaced the Washington Street Elevated in 2002. The Shuttle service commenced in 2004, alongside SL2 and the original SL3. SL1 began in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. Following cancellation of the Phase III tunnel project, SL4 started operating in 2009. A new SL3 route to Chelsea was launched in 2018.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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The two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop services that link key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Initially introduced with three routes in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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These routes cover nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, most of which originated as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this system has largely preserved its original structure since the BERy period, adapting through transitions under the Metropolitan Transit Authority and later the MBTA. Smaller lines have been consolidated into primary trunk routes, with new services introduced progressively.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – provide service to western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their heritage back to former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes that were incorporated in 1972.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , and – were classified as key bus routes due to their substantial ridership and frequent schedules that support densely populated urban zones. Starting in 2024, the MBTA's Bus Network Redesign is gradually eliminating the key route classification, replacing it with a broader network of frequent service routes. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
Early morning trips numbered 191–194 provide round-trip connections between outlying stations and , traversing multiple local routes. While primarily intended for station personnel, these services are accessible to all riders.
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Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose vicinity, originating from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA in 1968. Under MBTA operation, routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence. Route 132 was obtained from Service Bus Lines in 1975.
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Route 171 operates as a limited-service line replacing early morning CT3 trips that were discontinued in 2002 from Logan Airport. Other variants in the 170 series were short-lived and primarily served industrial districts.
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The "20 belt" route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 based on legacy BERy services. In 2005, it was rebranded as routes 201 and 202 to distinguish between clockwise and counterclockwise loop directions.
Routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily operate within the Quincy area, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that the MBTA incorporated in 1968. With the gradual introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services were adjusted to conclude at rapid transit hubs such as .
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, routes 350 to 354 descend from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell–Boston corridor, which the MBTA acquired in 1968 and later shortened to Burlington.
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Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (routes 411 and 430) acquired in 1975 alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes integrated in 1968. Notably, two Haymarket-bound lines provide weekend short-turn services ending at Wonderland.
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These express bus routes provide service for commuters traveling between Newton and Boston’s downtown area via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series in the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike's extension. The 550 series has its origins in former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines terminating at Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and later incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; however, these routes were truncated back to Newton Corner in 2020.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
Certain suburban bus lines outside the MBTA’s primary service area receive partial funding from the MBTA and connect with its network. The radial commuter services numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operates routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation manages route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines runs route 716.
Unnumbered routes function as municipal circulator services supported partially by MBTA subsidies and are operated by private contractors, except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
