Bus division of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority managing routes in Boston metropolitan 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, Massachusetts |
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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. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. A significant number of these routes trace their origins to former streetcar services operated by the Boston Elevated Railway or suburban transit companies such as the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway and Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Of the total, 147 routes are directly overseen by the MBTA, while four are managed by private contractors. Furthermore, four suburban transit operations receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
The standard one-way local fare for most bus routes is $1.70 as of 2024. The Silver Line's waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature a dual fare system: a local segment priced at the standard local fare and an express highway segment costing $4.25.
Bus service experienced interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic but had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2021, although some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been undertaking an extensive redesign of its bus network, with completion anticipated in 2028. The initial phase was launched in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six bus rapid transit routes promoted as rapid transit services. 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), which runs along surface streets. Waterfront routes charge fares equivalent to subway rides, whereas Washington Street routes maintain standard bus fare pricing. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated 60-foot buses; those on Waterfront routes are hybrid models with enhanced battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 route was introduced 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 commencing in 2005 using dual-mode buses. The SL4 started operating in 2009 after plans for a tunnel extension were canceled. A new SL3 route serving Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Crosstown
The two crosstown (CT) routes provide limited-stop service linking key subway stations and major bus transfer locations. Originally established with three routes in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover almost all local transit within the metropolitan center, with most originally established as streetcar lines under the Boston Elevated Railway. Numbered approximately in a clockwise pattern from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely preserved their initial layout despite transitions from BERy to M.T.A. and later to the MBTA. Additional routes have been introduced over the years.
Seven routes— , , , , , , and —operate in western suburban areas such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham, tracing their origins to the 1972 takeover of Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines.
Fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were identified as key bus routes in 2004. These high-demand lines support the subway system by offering frequent service throughout the most densely populated urban zones. Starting in 2024, the MBTA is replacing the "key bus route" designation with a more comprehensive frequent route network. Routes 28 and 39 employ 60-foot articulated buses.
A set of four early morning round trips (routes 191–194) operate between outlying stations and over parts of local routes; these primarily serve station personnel but are available to all riders.
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131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 operate in the Melrose vicinity, stemming from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were integrated into the MBTA in 1968. The 136, now discontinued, along with the 137, briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA management. The 132 began as a Service Bus Lines route before being incorporated into MBTA operations in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for early morning CT3 operations, which were scaled back from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series previously catered to industrial districts but were mostly short-lived.
201–202
The number 20 belt line was created by the M.T.A. in 1962 by combining BERy's former stub routes 20 and 21. In 2005, it was split into routes 201 and 202 to better indicate the direction of each loop.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy region and originate from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA in 1968. After the Red Line's Braintree Branch opened in stages during the 1970s and 1980s, these bus routes were adjusted to terminate at the newly established rapid transit stations, predominantly .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, these routes trace their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell to Boston line. The MBTA took over this service in 1968 and subsequently shortened it to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
These routes operate throughout Lynn and the North Shore area. They include former Service Bus Lines routes (such as 411 and 430, acquired in 1975) alongside Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines absorbed in 1968. Two routes serving Haymarket provide weekend short-turn services that end at Wonderland.
501–558
These routes offer expedited transit between Newton and downtown Boston by utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). The MBTA introduced the 500 series during the 1960s to capitalize on the newly extended turnpike into Boston. The 550 series has its roots in former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines servicing Newton Corner, which were extended into downtown in the 1960s, subsequently absorbed by the MBTA in 1972, and later shortened back to Newton Corner in 2020.
Privately operated routes
Suburban routes beyond the MBTA’s primary network that connect to its transit system receive partial financial support from the MBTA. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were originally operated by private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. (712/713), Nantasket Transportation (714), and Hudson Bus Lines (716)—and later incorporated into MBTA service.
Local circulator routes without assigned numbers are municipally initiated services subsidized by the MBTA. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is overseen by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all these routes are run by private contractors.
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