The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway system, Commuter Rail lines, or other MBTA bus services. Numerous 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 and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Out of these, the MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four are managed by private contractors, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
Most local bus trips carry a fare of $1.70 one-way as of 2024. The Silver Line routes serving the waterfront (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the SLW shuttle during peak hours) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature a dual fare structure: passengers pay the local fare for segments within local service areas and $4.25 for express travel on highways.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, service frequencies were cut back or rerouted; however, by 2021, operations largely returned to pre-pandemic standards, although some routes remain discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for full rollout by 2028. The initial phase of this transformation commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit system consisting of six routes promoted as rapid transit options. It is divided into two main branches: the Waterfront service (including SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), which runs on surface streets. Waterfront routes require payment of subway fares, whereas Washington Street services charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those on Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with extended electric capabilities suitable for tunnel travel.
The SL5 line was introduced in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated rail line. The SLW shuttle began operations in 2004, followed by the launch of SL2 and the original SL3 in that same year. SL1 started service in 2005 using dual-mode buses. After plans for Phase III of the tunnel were canceled, SL4 began running in 2009. A new SL3 route connecting Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Route
Description
MBTA link
SL1
Logan Airport terminals–South Station (Silver Line)
741
SL2
Drydock Avenue–South Station (Silver Line)
742
SL3
Chelsea–South Station (Silver Line)
743
SLW
Silver Line Way–South Station (Silver Line)
746
SL4
Nubian station–South Station
751
SL5
Nubian station–Downtown Crossing (Temple Place)
749
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown bus routes that provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and bus transfer hubs. Originally launched with three crosstown routes in 1994, one of these—route CT1—was merged with route 1 in 2019.
Route
Description
MBTA link
CT2
Sullivan Square station–Ruggles station
747
CT3
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Andrew station
708
1–121
These routes provide nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center, with the majority tracing their origins back to Boston Elevated Railway streetcar lines. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, this network has preserved a stable core since the BERy period, despite some consolidations and expansions throughout the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – extend service into western suburbs including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These are derived from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines acquired in 1972.
In 2004, fourteen routes – such as , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes due to their substantial ridership and frequent operations supporting the most densely populated urban zones. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign will retire this classification in favor of a more comprehensive frequent route system. To meet demand, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round-trips run between outlying stations and , primarily intended for station staff but accessible to all riders. Internally numbered 191–194, these trips appear as variants of local routes in published schedules.
... [list truncated for brevity but maintaining key route details relevant for business context] ...
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Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes 131 through 137 originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA system in 1968. Route 136 (now discontinued) and route 137 once extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management. Route 132 began as a Service Bus Lines operation before transitioning to MBTA control in 1975.
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Route 171 operates with limited service, having replaced early morning CT3 runs following their reduction from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were generally short-term industrial shuttle services.
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Originally formed in 1962 by the M.T.A. from BERY’s 20 and 21 stubs, the 20 belt route was renamed in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of each loop.
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within Quincy, tracing their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that the MBTA acquired in 1968. Following the gradual inauguration of the Red Line’s Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these routes were adjusted to end at rapid transit stations, predominantly at .
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Serving Burlington and Woburn, these routes stem from the Lowell–Boston line originally operated by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which the MBTA took over in 1968 before shortening service to Burlington.
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Serving Lynn and the North Shore area, these lines include routes originally operated by Service Bus Lines, acquired in 1975 (routes 411 and 430), as well as those inherited from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway in 1968. Weekend service to Haymarket offers short-turn trips (indicated by the suffix W) that end at Wonderland station.
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These express bus routes provide a connection between Newton and downtown Boston, traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s to take advantage of the newly extended turnpike, the 500 series originally consisted of lines operated by Middlesex and Boston Street Railway before their incorporation into the MBTA in 1972. In 2020, several routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
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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.
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes extending beyond its main service region that link with MBTA transit lines. Routes numbered 712 through 716 are radial commuter services that were acquired from private companies such as Rapid Transit Inc., Nantasket Transportation, and Hudson Bus Lines.
Routes without numbers but designated by MBTA codes are typically local municipal circulator services receiving some MBTA support. Most of these are run by private contractors, with the exception of the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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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.
