Bus system serving the Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus system| Company type | Public transportation |
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| Industry | Public transit |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus services, including local, express, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
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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 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region, all of which provide connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. The majority of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 of these routes, while four are operated under contract by private firms, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the local bus fare is set at $1.70 for a one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express bus routes include a local segment priced at the standard local fare, with an express highway portion costing $4.25.
Although service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, most routes were reinstated by 2021, with certain lines discontinued. Beginning in 2018, the MBTA initiated plans for a comprehensive bus network redesign anticipated to be completed by 2028, with initial adjustments rolling out in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes operating as a bus rapid transit system promoted as rapid transit service. It features two main branches: the Waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which utilize the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street services (SL4, SL5), which operate on 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 for electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route commenced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle service began in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also in 2004, with SL1 introduced in 2005 featuring dual-mode buses. The SL4 route launched in 2009 as a substitute for a canceled tunnel project. In 2018, a new SL3 service to Chelsea was inaugurated.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) services that provide limited-stop connections between key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. Originally introduced in 1994 with three routes, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
Nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center is covered by these routes, 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 network transitioned from the Metropolitan Transit Authority to the MBTA by 1964, preserving its essential structure while incorporating some extensions.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – serve suburban communities to the west such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These routes trace their origins to the 1972 acquisition of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines and were subsequently renumbered after retired route numbers.
In 2004, fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were designated as key bus routes. These high-frequency services complement subway operations by connecting Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s 2024 Bus Network Redesign will phase out the "key bus route" classification, broadening the frequent service network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
A limited number of early morning round trips—four in total—link outer stations to through various local routes. While primarily intended for station staff, these trips are available to all riders. Internally numbered 191–194, they are listed as variants of local routes in published schedules.
131–137
Serving the Melrose region, routes numbered 131 through 137 originated from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed into the MBTA in 1968. Routes 136 and 137, now discontinued, once extended briefly to Lowell and Lawrence respectively, their original endpoints. Route 132 began as a Service Bus Lines operation prior to MBTA takeover in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a replacement for early morning CT3 trips that were discontinued at Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-term services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The number 20 belt route was established by the M.T.A. in 1962 through the combination of BERy’s routes 20 and 21. In 2005, this route was split into two distinct loops labeled as routes 201 and 202 to clarify their respective directions.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy region, tracing their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. Initially, these routes mainly concluded at Fields Corner until the introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s. Subsequently, they were redirected to terminate at various rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn vicinity, these routes originated from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell to Boston corridor, which was acquired by the MBTA in 1968 and subsequently shortened to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (such as 411 and 430), which were integrated into the MBTA network in 1975, alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines acquired in 1968. Weekend short-turn versions ending with a W suffix conclude service at Wonderland station.
501–558
These express bus routes provide a direct connection between Newton and downtown Boston along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension into Boston. The 550 series originally evolved from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines serving Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s and later incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972; however, these routes were shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
Outside the MBTA's primary service area, suburban routes that link with MBTA transit receive partial funding from the agency. Radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. for routes 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation for route 714, and Hudson Bus Lines for route 716. Local circulator services without route numbers have been launched by municipalities with some MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these services are operated by private contractors.
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