Bus network operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston metropolitan area
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Bus Network| File:MBTA logo.svg MBTA logo |
| Company type | Public transit agency |
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| Industry | Public transportation |
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| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts , United States |
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Area served | Boston metropolitan area |
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| Products | Bus services, including local routes, express routes, Silver Line BRT |
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| Owner | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
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| Website | www.mbta.com/bus |
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus network encompasses 151 routes throughout the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan region. Each route provides connections to the MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, or other MBTA bus lines. Many of these routes trace their origins back to historic 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. The MBTA itself manages 147 of these routes directly, while four are run by contracted private operators. Additionally, four suburban routes receive partial funding from the MBTA.
As of 2024, the standard local bus fare is $1.70 per one-way trip, whereas the Silver Line waterfront services (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW) charge the standard subway fare of $2.40. Express buses feature a two-tier fare system: passengers pay local fare for the local segment and $4.25 for the express highway portion in 2024.
Bus service levels were scaled back during the COVID-19 pandemic but were nearly restored to pre-pandemic frequencies by 2021; however, some routes remain inactive. Since 2018, the MBTA has been developing a comprehensive redesign of its bus network, aiming for full deployment by 2028. The first phase of this redesign commenced in December 2024.
Silver Line
The Silver Line comprises six routes operating as a bus rapid transit system branded as rapid transit. It consists of two distinct branches: Waterfront service (SL1, SL2, SL3, SLW), which operates through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and Washington Street service (SL4, SL5), which runs on surface streets. The Waterfront lines apply subway fare pricing, while Washington Street routes charge regular bus fares. All Silver Line vehicles are articulated buses measuring 60 feet in length; those on Waterfront routes utilize hybrid buses equipped with extended battery capacity to enable electric operation within tunnels.
The SL5 line succeeded the Washington Street Elevated in 2002. The Shuttle service launched in 2004, followed by SL2 and SL3 later that year. SL1 began operation in 2005 with the introduction of dual-mode buses. After cancellation of the Phase III tunnel project, SL4 started service in 2009. A new SL3 route extending to Chelsea was inaugurated in 2018.
Crosstown
The MBTA operates two crosstown (CT) routes providing limited-stop service that links key subway stations and bus transfer hubs. Initially launched with three routes in 1994, route CT1 was merged into route 1 in 2019.
1–121
These routes cover nearly all local transit within the metropolitan center and primarily originated as streetcar lines operated by the Boston Elevated Railway. Numbered approximately in a clockwise sequence from the southeast to the northeast, they have largely remained consistent since the BERy period, despite some minor consolidations and extensions under the Metropolitan Transit Authority and subsequently the MBTA.
Seven routes—, , , , , , and —serve western suburban communities such as Bedford, Waltham, Lexington, and Needham. These lines trace back to services acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972 and were assigned numbers that had previously been retired.
In 2004, fourteen routes—, , , , , , , , , , , , , and —were classified as key bus routes. These high-ridership corridors complement the subway system by providing frequent transit options to Boston’s most densely populated neighborhoods. Beginning in 2024, the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign is replacing the key route designation with a more inclusive frequent route network. Routes 28 and 39 operate with 60-foot articulated buses.
Four early morning round trips (191–194) run between outlying stations and over various local routes, primarily intended for station agents but available to all riders.
131–137
Serving the Melrose vicinity, routes 131 through 137 are derived from former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines that became part of the MBTA network in 1968. The now-discontinued route 136 and route 137 briefly extended service to Lowell and Lawrence while under MBTA management. Route 132 initially belonged to Service Bus Lines before transitioning to MBTA operation in 1975.
171
Route 171 provides limited early morning service, taking over from the former CT3 route which was shortened from Logan Airport in 2002. Other routes in the 170 series were short-lived services catering to industrial zones.
201–202
The 20 belt route was established by M.T.A. in 1962 by combining BERy’s routes 20 and 21. In 2005, this loop was split into two distinct routes—201 and 202—to better indicate their respective directions around the loop.
210–245
The routes numbered 210 through 245 operate within the Quincy area and trace their origins to the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines, which were incorporated into the MBTA in 1968. Following the introduction of the Red Line's Braintree Branch during the 1970s and 1980s, these services predominantly adjusted their endpoints to connect with rapid transit stations such as .
350–354
Serving the Burlington and Woburn regions, routes 350 to 354 stem from the Lowell–Boston corridor of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway. These routes were acquired by the MBTA in 1968 and have since been shortened to terminate in Burlington.
411–465
Operating across Lynn and the North Shore area, these routes include former Service Bus Lines (routes 411 and 430) that joined the MBTA in 1975, along with primarily Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway lines acquired in 1968. Certain weekend short-turn versions of two Haymarket-serving routes (indicated with a W suffix) conclude at Wonderland.
501–558
These express bus routes facilitate travel for commuters between Newton and downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Established by the MBTA during the 1960s to capitalize on the turnpike's extension, the 500 series incorporates former Middlesex and Boston Street Railway lines (550 series) that were extended into downtown Boston at that time and integrated into the MBTA system in 1972. In 2020, these routes were shortened to terminate at Newton Corner.
Privately operated routes
The MBTA provides partial funding for suburban routes outside its primary service region that link with MBTA transit. Routes numbered 712 through 716 are radial commuter lines originally run by private companies—Rapid Transit Inc. operates 712 and 713, Nantasket Transportation runs 714, and Hudson Bus Lines manages 716.
Non-numbered routes function as local circulators initiated by municipalities with MBTA financial support. Except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is administered by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, all are operated by private contractors.
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