MBTA Bus

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MBTA Bus
MBTA.svg
MBTA 47 bus leaving Ruggles.jpg
A NABI 40LFW bus leaving Ruggles station on Route 47
Parent Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Founded 1964 (predecessors date to 1856)
Locale Greater Boston
Service area Boston and immediate suburbs
Service type Local, limited stop, express, and Silver Line BRT
Routes 178[1]
Fleet 1,052[1]
Daily ridership 387,815 (2013)[2]
Fuel type Diesel, CNG, Electric-Trolleybus, Diesel-Electric Hybrid
Operator MBTA; private operators
Website mbta.com

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates 178 bus routes (list of routes) in the Greater Boston area, many of which are were formerly part of a large streetcar system. Some routes are for local transport within the city; others bring passengers from surrounding areas to stops on the MBTA Commuter Rail or subway lines. The MBTA has a policy objective to provide transit service within walking distance (defined as 0.25 miles (0.40 km)) for all residents living in areas with population densities greater than 5,000 inhabitants per square mile (1,900/km2) within the MBTA service. Much of this service is provided by bus.

The MBTA operates a four-route bus rapid transit service branded as the Silver Line, as well as three crosstown routes that were intended to become the first part of the now-suspended Urban Ring project. Fifteen routes designed as key routes run with higher frequency at all times, including extended service hours on Friday and Saturday nights over some of these routes.

Most MBTA Bus service is served by diesel, compressed natural gas, and diesel-electric hybrid buses. Silver Line routes running in the Waterfront Tunnel use dual-mode buses that operate as trolleybuses in the tunnel and diesel-electric hybrid buses on the surface. Four routes based out of the Harvard Bus Tunnel run with trolleybuses in Cambridge, Massachusetts and also serve several surrounding suburbs.

All buses and routes are wheelchair-accessible (see MBTA accessibility); most of the MBTA's bus fleet consists of low-floor buses with wheelchair ramps, while older high-floor buses have lifts. All buses have amber (orange) colored LED exterior headsigns displaying route and destination, with automated audio/visual stop announcements for passengers.

Fleet

Active fleet

This is the current bus roster for the MBTA as of July 2, 2015. All buses are 102 inches (260 cm) wide; most are standard-length 40-foot (12 m) length while some are 60-foot (18 m) articulated buses.[1][3]


Order Year Manufacturer Model Picture Fleet Qty. Active Powertrain (Engine/Transmission) Propulsion Length (ft.) Notes
1994 TMC RTS T80206 MBTA TMC RTS 0049.jpg 0001-0138 138 18 Series 50/Allison VR731 Diesel 40
1995 NovaBus RTS T80206 MBTA NovaBus RTS -0383.JPG 0139-0400 262 46 Series 50/Allison VR731 Diesel 40
1999 Orion VI 5000-5001 2 0 Lockheed Hybrid Drive Hybrid 40
1999 NFI C40LF Mbta6001.JPG 6000-6001 2 0 Series 50G/Allison WB-400R CNG 40 Built to MTA NYC Bus specicifcations
2001 NFI C40LF MBTA New Flyer C40LF.jpg 6002-6016 15 11 Series 50G/Allison WB-400R CNG 40
2003-2004 NABI 40-LFW MBTA NABI 40LFW CNG.jpg 2001-2299 299 297 Series 60G/Allison WB-400R CNG 40
2003-2004 Neoplan USA AN460LF MBTA Neoplan AN460LF CNG 1003.jpg 1001-1044 44 42 Series 60G/Allison WB-500R CNG 60
  • #1001-1020 & #1030 wrapped for Silver Line
2004 Neoplan USA AN440LF Trolleybus4120.Harvard.agr.JPG 4101-4128 28 28 Skoda Electric trolleybus 40
2004-2005 Neoplan USA AN440LF MBTA Neoplan AN440LF 0557.jpg 0401-0593 193 192 Caterpillar C9/Allison WB-400R Diesel 40
  • #0488 was repowered with a Cummins ISL engine as a test
2004-2005 Neoplan USA AN460LF MBTA Silver Line bus 1132.jpg 1101-1132 32 32 Series 60/Skoda Dual mode 60
  • In Silver Line service
  • #1125-1132 owned by Massport
2006-2007 NFI D40LF NewFlyer 0629.JPG 0600-0754 155 155 Cummins ISL\Allison WB-400R Diesel 40
2008 NFI D40LF MBTA Bus Route 1.JPG 0755-0909 155 155 Cummins ISL\Allison WB-400R Diesel 40
2010 NFI DE60LFR MBTA route 39 bus near Forsyth Street, April 2010.jpg 1200-1224 25 25 Cummins ISL9\Allison EP-50 HybriDrive Hybrid 60
  • #1222-1224 wrapped for Silver Line routes SL4 & SL5
2014-2015 NFI XDE40 MBTA New Flyer XDE40 1442.jpg 1400-1459 60 60 Cummins ISB6.7/BAE HybriDrive Series-E Hybrid 40

Future

On June 29, 2015, the MassDOT board approved the purchase of 325 new 40-foot buses (175 CNG-powered and 150 hybrid) from New Flyer, with options for an additional 200 hybrid buses and 200 diesel buses. The 325 buses, costing a total of $222.2 million, will be delivered in 2016 and 2017 following the acceptance of a production test model. They will replace the remaining C40LF and 40-LFW fleets.[1][4]

On October 5, 2015, the MBTA Fiscal Control Board approved the purchase of 44 new 60-foot articulated hybrid buses from New Flyer to replace the CNG-powered Neoplan AN460LF fleet. The contract will include an option for an additional hybrid bus with extended range electric-only operation for Silver Line Waterfront use. If tested successfully, an additional option for 45 hybrid buses with extended range electric operation would be exercised to replace the dual-mode AN460LF fleet.[1][5]

In February 2015, the MBTA was awarded a $4.14 million FTA grant to purchase five 60-foot articulated battery electric buses from New Flyer.[1][6]

In late 2015, the MBTA will place a 40-foot hydrogen fuel cell bus provided by the FTA into service.[1]

Facilities

Geographic map of all MBTA Bus services, including private carrier routes

MBTA buses are operated out of the facilities listed below.[1]

Name Address Routes Operation
Albany Street 421 Albany Street, Boston 4 ,57, 59, 60, 65, 66-(Brighton school trips only),170, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 553, 554, 556, 558, CT1, CT2, CT3 Weekday rush hours & middays only
Arborway 3600 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain 14, 21, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 34E, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39†, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 195‡ Full-time
Cabot 275 Dorchester Avenue, South Boston 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 43, 44, 45, 47, 55, 57*, 59*, 65*, 66, 171, 504*, 553* Full-time
Charlestown 21 Arlington Avenue, Charlestown 62, 64, 67, 68, 69, 70, 70A, 71**, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94*, 95*, 96*, 97*, 99*, 100*, 101, 104, 105*, 106-(some peak trips from Fellsway), 108*, 109, 110, 111, 112, 132*, 134*, 136*, 137*, 325, 326, 350, 351, 352, 411*, 430* Full-time
Fellsway 465 Salem Street, Medford 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 105, 106-(Melrose peak trips only), 108, 131, 132, 134, 136, 137, 354, 411, 430 Weekday rush hours & middays only
Lynn 985 Western Avenue, Lynn 114, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 424, 426, 428, 429, 431, 434, 435, 436, 439, 441, 442, 448, 449, 450, 451, 455, 456, 459, 465 Full-time
North Cambridge 2375 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 71, 77A-(limited service) Weekdays & Saturdays only
Quincy 954 Hancock Street, Quincy 201, 202, 210, 211, 212, 214, 215, 216, 217, 220, 221, 222, 225, 230, 236, 238, 240, 245 Full-time
Southampton 230 Southampton Street, Boston 16-(most service from Cabot), 28, 39-(evening service from Arborway), Silver Line BRT Full-time

Notes:

  • * = Route during evenings & weekends
  • ** = Route during Sundays
  • † = Route during evenings
  • ‡ = Private route for Long Island
  • Routes 28 and 39 are operated out of Cabot in the event of a winter storm.

Private buses

A Blue Hill Bus Lines vehicle on the Canton - Mattapan route, now the #716 route, in 1967

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See also: List of MBTA bus routes § Privately operated routes

Most local bus routes in Massachusetts outside the immediate MBTA operating area are operated by the state's other regional transit authorities (RTAs). However, some routes that connect with MBTA bus or subway service are operated by outside private contractors with partial subsidy by the MBTA. [7]

Five routes – the 710, 712/713, 714, and 716 – are numbered like other MBTA buses; their operators accept MBTA passes on CharlieTickets, but do not have CharlieCard readers. The five routes are primarily commuter routes which connect with other MBTA services at their inbound terminals. They were taken over from various private operators (Hudson Bus Lines for the 710 and 716, Rapid Transit Inc. for the 712/713, and Nantasket Transportation for the 714).[8]

Five suburban municipalities contract with outside operators for local circulator routes, most with partial MBTA subsidy. Bedford, Beverly, and Dedham run single routes; Burlington runs five routes; and Lexington runs six.[8] Most are run by private operators, except for the Beverly Shuttle, which is part of the Cape Ann Transportation Authority system. Additionally, a nonprofit shuttle is run in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood.[8] Those 15 routes appear on MBTA system maps and connect with MBTA services at designated transfer points, but are numbered separately and do not accept MBTA passes.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Capital Investment Program FY2008 — FY2012 (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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