The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus system manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region. Each route connects seamlessly with MBTA subway lines, Commuter Rail services, or additional bus routes. A majority of these routes evolved from historic streetcar corridors or were originally operated by suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. The MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four are operated by private contractors, and an additional four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services include a local fare segment and charge a premium express fare of $4.25 for travel along highways into downtown Boston.
Bus service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but was largely reinstated by 2021; however, some routes remain suspended. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive bus network overhaul scheduled for completion in 2028, with initial modifications introduced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as a rapid transit option. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW shuttle), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), running on surface streets. Fares for Waterfront routes correspond to subway pricing, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line buses are articulated 60-foot vehicles; those on the Waterfront routes are hybrid models equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route replaced the Washington Street Elevated line in 2002; the Shuttle service commenced in 2004 alongside SL2 and a previous version of SL3 that same year. SL1 began operations in 2005 utilizing dual-mode buses. Following cancellation of Phase III tunnel expansion plans, SL4 was launched in 2009. A new SL3 route connecting Chelsea started service 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.
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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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
Two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop connections between key subway stations and major bus transfer hubs. The MBTA initially launched three crosstown routes in 1994; however, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
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These routes encompass nearly all local transit within the central metropolitan area, many of which have their roots in the streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Arranged approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, these routes have largely remained stable through organizational changes—from BERy to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (M.T.A.) in 1947, and later to the MBTA in 1964—although some routes were merged or introduced during these transitions.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were classified as key bus routes. These high-ridership corridors complement the subway by delivering frequent service throughout Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. The MBTA’s 2024 Bus Network Redesign is gradually replacing the key route classification with a broader frequent route system. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips run between remote stations and along various local routes. Although primarily intended for station personnel, these trips are accessible to all riders. Internally, they are numbered 191–194 but appear as variants of local routes.
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Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose, Massachusetts vicinity and trace their origins to former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. The now-defunct route 136 and route 137 previously extended service to Lowell, Massachusetts and Lawrence, Massachusetts, respectively. Route 132 was added following its acquisition from Service Bus Lines in 1975.
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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.
Route 171 functions as a limited-service substitute for early morning CT3 operations following its reduction from Logan Airport service in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-lived services targeting industrial zones.
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Initially established by the M.T.A. in 1962 using BERY's former 20 and 21 routes, the 20 belt line was renamed in 2005 as routes 201 and 202 to better distinguish the direction of its loops.
Operating within the Quincy, Massachusetts region, routes numbered 210 through 245 trace their origins to the former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA in 1968. With the phased introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services were realigned to conclude at rapid transit stations such as .
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When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.
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Serving Burlington and Woburn, these routes stem from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston line, which the MBTA acquired in 1968 and later truncated to Burlington.
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Operating primarily in Lynn and along the North Shore, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (such as 411 and 430) acquired in 1975, alongside mainly Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed in 1968. Weekend short-turn versions marked with a W suffix for Haymarket-bound routes terminate at Wonderland.
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These express bus lines connect Newton with downtown Boston, traveling along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to take advantage of the newly extended turnpike. The 550 series has its roots in former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes serving Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown Boston in the 1960s and absorbed by the MBTA 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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Certain suburban routes beyond the MBTA’s primary service area receive partial funding from the MBTA and provide connections to its network. The radial commuter routes numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies: Rapid Transit Inc. operates 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages 716.
Local circulator routes without numeric designations are established 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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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.
