List of MBTA bus routes


The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus division operates bus routes in the Boston, Massachusetts metropolitan area. All routes connect to MBTA subway, MBTA Commuter Rail, and/or other MBTA bus services. Many routes are descendants of the streetcar routes of the Boston Elevated Railway, or of suburban companies including the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, Middlesex and Boston Street Railway, and Newton and Boston Street Railway.

Silver Line

The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit system marketed as rapid transit. It is divided into two branches: Waterfront service that runs through the South Boston Transitway tunnel, and Washington Street service that runs on the surface via Washington Street. The Waterfront service costs the same as a subway fare, while the Washington Street service costs a regular bus fare.
The SL5 route was created in 2002 as a replacement for the Washington Street Elevated. The Shuttle route began operations in 2004, followed by the SL2 and SL3 in 2004 and SL1 in 2005 when dual-mode buses became available. The SL4 was introduced in 2009 as a replacement for the canceled Phase III tunnel. A new SL3 route to Chelsea opened in 2018.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
'Logan Airport–
'Design Center–
'Chelsea station–
'–
'–South Station at Essex Street
'Nubian station–Downtown Crossing at Temple Place

Crosstown

The crosstown buses provide limited-stop service on two routes that connect major subway and bus transfer points. The routes were created by the MBTA in 1994.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
CT2–
CT3Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–

1–121

These routes provide almost all local service in the core of the metropolitan area; most were originally Boston Elevated Railway streetcar routes. They were originally numbered roughly clockwise from southeast to northeast, with 4 the furthest south in South Boston and 121 the furthest north in East Boston. The BERy folded into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1947, and the M.T.A. in turn was reorganized as the MBTA in 1964. Despite some changes, including minor routes being merged into trunk routes, the core service network has remained roughly intact since the BERy eta. Several new routes, including the 1, 5, and 47, have been added during the M.T.A. and MBTA eras.
Seven routes – the 52, 59, 62, 67, 70, 70A, and 76 – serve more distant western suburbs, such as Belmont, Lexington, and Needham; most were acquired from the Middlesex and Boston Street Railway in 1972, and subsequently renumbered using previously discontinued designations.
Fifteen of these routes are designated as key bus routes; they supplement the subway system to provide frequent service to the densest areas of the city. Key bus routes typically operate at higher frequencies than their undesignated cousins, and in March 2014 their hours of service were extended until 2:30AM on Friday and Saturday nights along with the rapid transit system. In mid-2015, late-night service on some key bus routes was cut back, while other routes were dropped from late-night service.
Key bus routes are designated on this list with an *.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
1*Harvard Square–
4–Tide Street
7–Otis Street & Summer Street
8Harbor Point–
9City Point–
10City Point–Copley Square
11City Point–Bedford Street & Chauncy Street
14Roslindale Square–
15* or Kane Square–
16– or Harbor Point
17Fields Corner station–Andrew station
18–Andrew station
19Fields Corner station–Kenmore or Ruggles station
21Ashmont station–Forest Hills station
22*Ashmont station–Ruggles station via Talbot Ave
23*Ashmont station–Ruggles station via Washington Street
24Wakefield Avenue & Truman Parkway–
26Ashmont station–Norfolk Street Loop
27Mattapan station–Ashmont station
28*Mattapan station–Ruggles station
29Mattapan station–
30Mattapan station–Forest Hills station via Cummins Highway and Roslindale Square
31Mattapan station–Forest Hills station via Morton Street
32*Wolcott or Cleary Square–Forest Hills station
33River Street & Milton Street–Mattapan station
34Dedham Mall or Dedham Line–Forest Hills station
34EWalpole Center–Forest Hills station
35Dedham Mall or Stimson Street–Forest Hills station
36Millennium Park or VA Hospital–Forest Hills station
37Baker Street & Vermont Street–Forest Hills station
38Wren Street–Forest Hills station
39*Forest Hills station–
40Georgetowne–Forest Hills station
41Centre Street & Eliot Street–
42Forest Hills station–Nubian station
43Ruggles station–
44Jackson Square station–Ruggles station
45Franklin Park–Ruggles station
47Central Square, Cambridge–
50Cleary Square–Forest Hills station
51–Forest Hills station
52Dedham Mall–
'Jersey Street & Queensberry Street–Park Street station
57*Watertown Yard–Kenmore station
57A–Kenmore station
59–
'Chestnut Hill–Kenmore station
61North Waltham–Waltham Center
62Bedford VA Hospital–
64Oak Square–University Park or
Brighton–Kenmore station
66*Harvard Square–Nubian station
67Turkey Hill–Alewife station
68Harvard Square–Kendall/MIT station
69Harvard Square–
70Market Place Drive or Waltham Center–University Park
71*Watertown Square–
72Aberdeen Avenue–Harvard station
73*Waverley Square–Harvard Sttaion
74–Harvard via Concord Avenue
75Belmont Center–Harvard via Huron Avenue
76Lincoln Lab–Alewife station
77*Arlington Heights–Harvard station
78Arlmont Village–Harvard station
79Arlington Heights–Alewife station
80Arlington Center–Lechmere station
83Rindge Avenue–Central Square, Cambridge
84Arlmont Village–Alewife station
85Spring Hill–Kendall/MIT station
86–Reservoir station
87Clarendon Hill or Arlington Center–Lechmere station
88Clarendon Hill–Lechmere station
89Clarendon Hill or –Sullivan Square station
90Davis station–Assembly Row
91Sullivan Square station–Central Square, Cambridge
92Sullivan Square station–Downtown via Main Street
93Sullivan Square station–Downtown via Bunker Hill Street
94Medford Square–Davis station
95West Medford or Arlington Center–Sullivan Square station
96Medford Square–Harvard station
97–
99Woodland Road–Wellington station
100Elm Street–Wellington station
101Malden Center station–Sullivan Square station via Winter Hill
104Malden Center station–Sullivan Square station via Ferry Street
105Malden Center station–Sullivan Square station via Newland Street Housing
106Lebanon Loop–Wellington station
108Linden Square–Wellington station
109Linden Square–Sullivan Square station
110–Wellington station
111*Woodlawn–
112Wellington station–Wood Island station
114Market Basket–
116*Wonderland station–Maverick station via Revere Street
117*Wonderland station–Maverick station via Beach Street
119Northgate Shopping Center–Beachmont station
120–Jeffries Point
121Wood Island station–Maverick station

131–137

Numbers from 131 to 137 operate in the Melrose area; their routings are based on routes operated as part of the former Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway, which was folded into the MBTA system in 1968. The 136 and 137 were briefly operated as far as Lowell and Lawrence, their original Eastern Mass terminals, while under MBTA control. The 132 was a Service Bus Lines route which was not operated by the MBTA until 1975.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
131Melrose Highlands– or
132Redstone Shopping Center–Malden Center station
134North Woburn–
136Reading Depot–Malden Center station via Lowell Street
137Reading Depot–Malden Center station via North Avenue

170–171

170 and 171 are special low-service routes, the 170 a variant of the 70 introduced in 1968 and the 171 a replacement for early morning CT3 service when it was cut back from Logan Airport in 2002. Other numbers in the 170s were used for largely short-lived routes serving industrial areas.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
170Waltham Center–Nubian station
171Logan Airport terminals–Nubian station

191–194

Routes from 191 to 194 are single round trips in the early morning, mainly meant for subway fare collectors but open to the public. They were introduced by the M.T.A. in 1960.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
191–
192Cleary Square–Haymarket station
–Haymarket station
194Clarendon Hill–Haymarket station

195

Route 195 is a special low-service route not open to the general public nor shown on MBTA maps. It connects downtown Boston with the homeless shelter at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. Until September 2015, the route was numbered 277 to match routes 274-276
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
195Lemuel Shattuck Hospital–Park Street & Tremont Street

201–202

The 20 belt route was created by the M.T.A. in 1962 as a combination of the 20 and 21 stub routes inherited from BERy. In 2005, the MBTA redesignated the two directions of the loop as the 201 and 202 to avoid confusion about which way each bus ran.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
201Fields Corner Loop via Neponset Ave
202Fields Corner Loop via Adams Street

210–245

These routes operate in the Quincy area. Routes 210-245 are based on routes originally operated by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway which mostly ran into Fields Corner station. When the Red Line's Braintree Branch opened in the 1970s, these routes were rerouted to terminate at the new rapid transit stations.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
210–
211Quincy Center station–Squantum
212Quincy Center station–
214Germantown–Quincy Center station
215Quincy Center station– via West Quincy
216Houghs Neck–Quincy Center station
217Quincy Center station–Ashmont station via Wollaston station
220Hingham Depot–Quincy Center station
221Fort Point–Quincy Center station
222East Weymouth–Quincy Center station
225Weymouth Landing–Quincy Center station
226Columbian Square–Braintree station
230Montello station–Quincy Center station
236South Shore Plaza–Quincy Center station
238Holbrook/Randolph station–Quincy Center station
240Avon Square–Ashmont station
245Quincy Center station–

325–326

These routes operate express between Medford and downtown Boston. They were introduced by the MBTA in June 1973.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
325Elm Street, Medford–
326West Medford–Haymarket station

350–354

These routes operate in the Burlington area. They are the remains of the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's Lowell Division, which was inherited intact by the MBTA in 1968 and gradually declined thereafter.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
350North Burlington–
351Bedford Woods Drive–Alewife station
352Burlington–State Street, Boston
354Woburn–State Street, Boston

411–465

These routes operate in the Lynn area and the North Shore. Two routes that run to Haymarket have weekend short-turn variants that terminate at Wonderland. The 411 and 430 were Service Bus Lines routes that were acquired by the MBTA in 1975; the other routes are largely Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway routes acquired in 1968.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
411Kennedy Drive or Jack Satter House–
424Eastern Avenue & Essex Street–
426Central Square, Lynn–
426WCentral Square, Lynn–
428Oaklandvale–Haymarket station
429Northgate Shopping Center–Central Square, Lynn
430Saugus Center–Malden Center station
434Main Street, Peabody–Haymarket station
435Liberty Tree Mall–Central Square, Lynn via Peabody Square
436Liberty Tree Mall–Central Square, Lynn via Goodwin Circle
439Nahant–Wonderland station
441Marblehead–Wonderland station via Paradise Road
442Marblehead–Wonderland station via Humphrey Street
450Salem Depot–Haymarket station
450WSalem Depot–Wonderland station
451North Beverly station–Salem Depot
455Salem Depot–Wonderland station
456Salem Depot–Central Square, Lynn
465Danvers Square–Salem Depot

501–558

These routes operate express between Newton and downtown Boston via the Massachusetts Turnpike. The 500 series routes were created by the MBTA in the 1960s to take advantage of the newly constructed turnpike extension into Boston. The 550 series routes were Middlesex and Boston Street Railway routes to Newton Corner that were extended to downtown Boston in the 1960s and taken over by the MBTA in 1972.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
'Brighton Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street
'–
'Brighton Center–Copley Square
'Watertown Yard–Federal Street & Franklin Street
505Waltham Center–Federal Street & Franklin Street
553Roberts–Federal Street & Franklin Street
554Waverley Square–Federal Street & Franklin Street
556Waltham Highlands–Federal Street & Franklin Street
558Riverside station–Federal Street & Franklin Street

Privately operated routes

The MBTA provides partial subsidy for some suburban routes outside its usual service area that connect with MBTA bus, subway, or commuter rail service. Routes 710-716 are radial commuter routes that accept MBTA passes on CharlieTickets only; they were taken over from various private operators.
The non-numbered routes are local circulator services founded by the municipalities with partial MBTA subsidy. All are operated by private companies under contract, except for the Beverly Shuttle which is operated by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
RouteDescriptionMBTA link
710North Medford–
'Point Shirley, Winthrop– via Revere Street
'Point Shirley, Winthrop–Orient Heights station via Winthrop Center
714Pemberton Point, Hull–Station Street, Hingham
716Cobbs Corner–
BEDBedford Local Transit
BEVCity of Beverly Shuttle
BURBurlington Public Transit
LEXLexington Lexpress
MISMission Hill LINK