Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Bus Division| Company type | Public agency division |
|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
|---|
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
|---|
Area served | Boston metropolitan region, Massachusetts |
|---|
| Products | Bus transit services, including local, express, and bus rapid transit (Silver Line) |
|---|
| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
|---|
| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
|---|
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus division manages 151 routes throughout the Boston metropolitan region in Massachusetts. Each route is integrated with the MBTA subway, Commuter Rail, or other bus services within the system. Many of these 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. Of the total, the MBTA directly oversees 147 routes, while four are operated under contract by private firms. Additionally, four suburban bus services receive partial financial support from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is set at $1.70 per one-way trip. The Silver Line waterfront routes (SL1, SL2, SL3, and SLW) apply the subway fare of $2.40. Express bus services have a two-tier fare system: local segments cost $1.70, whereas the express portions on highways are priced at $4.25.
Bus operations were scaled back during the COVID-19 pandemic but were mostly reinstated by 2021; however, some routes remain discontinued. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing an extensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for completion by 2028. The first phase of this overhaul commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line constitutes a six-route bus rapid transit (BRT) network promoted as a rapid transit option. It consists of two main branches: the Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, and the rush-hour SLW shuttle), which travels through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and the Washington Street service (SL4 and SL5), operating on regular surface streets. Waterfront routes require payment of subway fares, whereas Washington Street routes charge standard bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid models with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
Service on SL5 began in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated line. The Shuttle service was introduced in 2004, alongside SL2 and the initial SL3 route that same year. SL1 followed in 2005 employing dual-mode buses. After cancellation of the Phase III tunnel project, SL4 was launched in 2009. A new SL3 route extending to Chelsea debuted in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes that provide limited-stop service linking significant subway and bus transfer locations. Initially launched 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 by the Boston Elevated Railway. The numbering system, initially assigned in a clockwise manner from the southeast to the northeast, has largely persisted since the BERy period, despite some minor consolidations and expansions during the Metropolitan Transit Authority and MBTA administrations.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve the western suburbs including Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These routes originated from Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA in 1972.
In 2004, fourteen routes—including , , , , , , , among others—were identified as key bus routes. These lines, characterized by high ridership, complement the subway system by offering frequent service to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Starting in 2024, the MBTA is transitioning away from the "key bus route" label toward a broader frequent route network. Notably, routes 28 and 39 operate using 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips (routes 191–194) provide connections between outlying stations and over multiple local lines, primarily intended for station personnel but accessible to all passengers.
131–137
Routes numbered 131 through 137 serve the Melrose region and were originally part of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway system before being absorbed by the MBTA in 1968. Routes 136 (now discontinued) and 137 once briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence under MBTA oversight. Route 132 started as a Service Bus Lines operation before transitioning to MBTA management in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited service as a substitute for early-morning CT3 operations that were curtailed from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series mainly consisted of short-lived industrial shuttle services.
201–202
The belt route numbered 20 was formed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1962 by combining BERy’s former routes 20 and 21. In 2005, this route was split into two separate designations—201 and 202—to better indicate loop directionality.
210–245
Routes numbered 210 through 245 primarily serve the Quincy area, tracing their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that were incorporated into the MBTA system in 1968. After the Red Line's Braintree Branch opened in stages during the 1970s and 1980s, these bus routes were realigned to conclude at newly established rapid transit stations, most notably .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, routes 350 to 354 stem from the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway’s Lowell–Boston corridor, which was absorbed by the MBTA in 1968. These routes have since been shortened to terminate at Burlington.
411–465
Operating throughout Lynn and the North Shore area, this group includes two routes featuring weekend short-turn versions (designated with suffix W) that end at Wonderland. The 411 and 430 routes were acquired from Service Bus Lines in 1975, while the remaining services originated from Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway assets integrated into the MBTA in 1968.
501–558
These express bus lines provide a direct connection between Newton and downtown Boston along the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established in the 1960s to take advantage of the turnpike's extension, the 500 series includes routes initially managed by the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway (the 550 series), which were extended to downtown Boston during the 1960s and incorporated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, the 550 routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for several suburban routes located outside its primary service zone that link with MBTA transit services. The radial commuter lines numbered 712 through 716 were acquired from private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operates 712/713, Nantasket Transportation manages 714, and Hudson Bus Lines runs 716.
Routes without numbers function as local municipal circulators and receive partial MBTA subsidies. All such services are contracted to private operators except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
External links
