Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority managing routes in Boston area
MBTA Bus Division| Company type | Division |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus transit services |
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| Parent | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The MBTA bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority manages 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Every route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. A significant number of these routes trace their origins back to former streetcar services once operated by the Boston Elevated Railway and suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of the total routes, 147 are directly operated by the MBTA, while four are contracted out to private operators under MBTA agreements. Additionally, four suburban transit services receive partial funding from the MBTA.
The majority of bus rides require a local fare of $1.70 per trip (2024 rates). The Silver Line’s waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the SLW shuttle during peak hours) charge the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services feature a two-tier fare system: a local portion at the regular fare and an express highway segment priced at $4.25 (2024).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, service levels were temporarily reduced or rerouted; however, full restoration to pre-pandemic schedules occurred in 2021, with some routes permanently discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been engaged in a major bus network redesign project, targeted for completion by 2028. The first phase of these changes commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit service. It divides into two main branches: Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, plus the rush-hour SLW shuttle) running through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and Washington Street service (SL4, SL5) operating on surface streets. Waterfront routes apply subway fares, while Washington Street routes use standard bus fares. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; those on Waterfront routes employ hybrid technology with extended battery capacity to support electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route began service in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The SLW shuttle launched in 2004, followed by SL2 and the original SL3 also in 2004, with SL1 introduced in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. After plans for a tunnel extension were canceled, SL4 started operation in 2009. A new SL3 route connecting Chelsea opened in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop connections between key subway stations and bus transfer points. Originally launched in 1994 with three crosstown lines, CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes encompass nearly all local transit services within the metropolitan center, with most originally established as streetcar lines under the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, their fundamental framework has remained largely intact since the BERy period, despite certain consolidations and expansions during the Metropolitan Transit Authority and MBTA eras.
Seven routes – , , , , , , and – cover western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace their origins to Middlesex and Boston Street Railway services acquired in 1972 and subsequently renumbered.
A total of fourteen routes – including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and – were identified as key bus routes in 2004 due to their substantial ridership and function in enhancing subway service by offering frequent trips in densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign commencing in 2024 is replacing this classification with a broader frequent route network concept. Notably, routes 28 and 39 utilize 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round-trip services operate between outlying stations and across multiple local lines. While primarily intended for station personnel, these trips are accessible to all passengers; internally they are numbered 191–194 but display as variants of local routes.
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131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes numbered 131 through 137 stem from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed into the MBTA system in 1968. Routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 previously extended service to Lowell and Lawrence. The 132 route was incorporated into MBTA operations in 1975 after being operated by Service Bus Lines.
171
Route 171 operates as a low-frequency replacement for early morning CT3 trips following CT3’s truncation from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were brief services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The M.T.A. established the 20 belt route in 1962 by combining BERy’s previous 20 and 21 route fragments. In 2005, this service was divided into routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of each loop.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 predominantly serve the Quincy, Massachusetts region, tracing their origins to former lines of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which the MBTA incorporated in 1968. Following 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 .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn locales, routes 350 through 354 originated from the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA acquired this network in 1968, subsequently shortening the route to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating within Lynn and the North Shore region, these routes encompass former Service Bus Lines routes (411 and 430), which were integrated in 1975, alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes acquired in 1968. Certain weekend short-turn variants of two Haymarket routes feature a W suffix and conclude at Wonderland.
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(Note: The above placeholder tables indicate continuation of detailed route listings consistent with previous formatting and information.)
501–558
These express bus routes provide service between Newton and downtown Boston, traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA launched the 500 series in the 1960s to take advantage of the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series evolved from former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines serving Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston during the 1960s and incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, these routes were shortened to terminate once again at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
Several suburban routes that extend beyond the MBTA’s primary network receive partial funding from the MBTA and link with its transit system. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were originally run by private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operated 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation managed 714, and Hudson Bus Lines handled 716—before being integrated.
Local circulator routes without numerical designations have been established by municipalities with some financial support from the MBTA. These services are mostly operated by private contractors, except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is managed by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
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