The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) adopted a 3 digit numbering system for suburban routes, higher than the "city" route numbers. This numbering system evolved in various ways going into the 21st Century.
When MBTA acquired the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Co. (EMSR) in 1968, EMSR had operating divisions, or garages, in Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn, Quincy, and Brockton. EMSR did not have route numbers, and initially MBTA numbered those routes in the 200's, 300's, 400's, 500's, and 600's respectively. But Lowell, Lawrence, and Brockton were located outside the MBTA district. And in 1969 MBTA turned the Lawrence and Brockton routes over to other transit operators. MBTA continued to operate the Lowell routes under contract until 1976, having renumbered those routes to the 700's in 1970.
Certain routes numbered in the 700's operated through into the MBTA territory, but were subsequently cut back to within the MBTA territory. Those routes evolved to a group of routes renumbered to the 350's in September, 1982.
The route networks in the outlying districts of Lowell, Lawrence, and Brockton were changed significantly from the EMSR networks, and no attempt is made to relate their route histories to the present networks.
In 1970, the Quincy routes were renumbered to the 200's, and the Lynn routes were renumbered within the 400's. In addition, certain routes in the Norwood and the Melrose areas were subsequently assigned lower "city" route numbers, as their operations were transferred to certain "city" system bus garages.
When MBTA acquired the Middlesex & Boston Street Railway Co. (M&B) in 1972 MBTA numbered those routes in the 500's, by putting a "5" in front of the M&B route number. But in 1982, all routes were assigned new lower "city" route numbers. Although a few routes in Newton were again renumbered in 1996, to the 550's. A few M&B routes were acquired from Lovell Bus Lines in 1953.
More recently created express routes 500-505 were originally numbered in the 300's, renumbered to the 500's in September, 1996.
In addition, in 1975 and 1980 respectively, MBTA acquired some routes from Service Bus Lines, and the Brush Hill Transportation Co.
Route 250, originally operated by MBTA, became a Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway route in 1985.
Bus routes numbered in the 700's are operated under contract, and evolved from various private bus companies. Many of the contract operators have changed several times in recent years.
Discontinued routes are in parentheses. Indicated are prior companies operating route, and whether route was converted from streetcar (SC) to bus on the given date, or a newly created bus route.
Route Route Prior Motor Subsequent
Number Name History Bus History
210 Quincy-Fields Corner EMSR SC 5/ 2/48
211 Quincy-Squantum EMSR SC 3/ 8/30
212 Quincy-North Quincy EMSR SC 8/ 3/24
214 Quincy-Germantown EMSR bus 12/ 3/28
215 Quincy-Ashmont EMSR SC 6/12/35
216 Quincy-Houghs Neck EMSR SC 6/30/46
217 Wollaston Beach EMSR bus 9/18/29
220 Quincy-Hingham EMSR bus 4/14/41
221 Quincy-Fort Point EMSR bus 8/25/46
222 Quincy-East Weymouth EMSR SC 12/16/33
225 Quincy-Weymouth Landing EMSR SC 4/21/34
(228) Quincy-Braintree EMSR bus 4/26/42 to 236 3/ /80
230 Quincy-Montello EMSR SC 6/12/35
236 Quincy-South Shore Plaza from 237 3/ /80
(237) Quincy-Braintree-SS Plaza EMSR bus 3/23/64 to 236 3/ /80
238 Quincy-Holbrook/Randolph EMSR bus 2/20/61
(238A) Ashmont-South Shore Pl. EMSR bus 2/20/61 disc. 9/ /71
240 Ashmont-Avon EMSR
(241) Ashmont-Holbrook EMSR bus 8/31/59 disc. 9/ /71
245 Quincy-Mattapan via Shadowlawn EMSR bus 6/ 4/27
245 Quincy-Mattapan via Pleasant EMSR bus 10/28/28
(248) Mattapan-Milton Brush H. 1925 disc. 4/ /81
(250) Braintree-Hanover-Marshfield new bus 5/ /82 to P&B 6/ /85
(251) East Milton-Ashmont EMSR bus 10/26/29 disc. 9/ /71
(252) Squantum-Fields Corner EMSR bus 8/31/59 disc. 9/ /71
(253) Norfolk Downs-Fields C. EMSR bus 8/31/59 disc. 9/ /71
(254) Wollaston-Fields Corner EMSR bus 8/31/59 disc. 9/ /71
(270) Quincy-Shipyard EMSR SC 4/ 4/48 disc. 4/ /81
(271) West Quincy-Shipyard EMSR disc. 4/ /81
(272) South Braintree-Shipyard EMSR disc. 4/ /81
(273) Ashmont-Raytheon EMSR disc. 10/ /71
(275) Quincy-Raytheon EMSR disc. 9/ /71
(278) Quincy-Tubular Rivet EMSR disc. 9/ /71
(279) Fields C.-Long Island EMSR bus 8/ 5/51 disc. 1976
Route Route Prior Motor Subsequent
Number Name History Bus History
325 Elm St. Medford-Haymarket Exp. new bus 6/ /73
326 West Medford-Haymarket Exp. new bus 6/ /73
350 Burlington-Alewife EMSR bus 1957
351 Bedford Woods-Alewife Exp. new bus 9/ /98
352 Burlington-State Street Exp. new bus 12/ /70
354 Woburn-State Street Exp. new bus 12/ /74
(355) Mishawum-State Street new bus 9/ /98 disc. 7/ 1/12
Route Route Prior Motor Subsequent
Number Name History Bus History
(400) Lynn-Boston via Western Ave. EMSR SC 8/11/35 to 455 6/ /01
(410) Lynn-Winthrop Highlands Service Bus disc. 12/ /77
411 Revere-Malden Service Bus
(421) Boston-Malden Service Bus disc. 3/ /75
424 Swampscott-Boston new bus 6/ /71
426 Lynn-Cliftondale Sq. EMSR SC 6/ 6/37
426 Cliftondale Sq.-Boston new bus 6/ /69
(426) Oaklandvale-Boston new bus 9/ /75 to 428 6/ /99
(428) Lynn-Saugus EMSR SC 6/ 6/37 disc. 4/ /81
428 Oaklandvale-Boston from 426 6/ /99
429 Lynn-North Saugus EMSR SC 9/ /35
430 Saugus-Malden Service Bus
(431) Lynn-Breed Sq. via Summer St. EMSR SC 6/ 6/37 disc. 11/ /79
(431) Lynn-Neptune Towers new bus 6/ /02 disc. 2017
(432) Lynn-Holyoke St. EMSR SC 3/28/37 to 429 4/ /81
(433) Lynn-Pine Hill EMSR to 435 6/ /02
434 Peabody-Boston new bus 11/ /76
435 Lynn-Lakeshore Pk.-Liberty Tree EMSR SC 7/ 2/33
436 Lynn-Happy Valley-Liberty Tree EMSR SC 7/ 2/33
(437) Lynn-Lakeside EMSR SC 3/28/37 disc. 6/ /02
(438) Lynn-Highland Circuit EMSR SC 3/28/37 disc. 9/ /77
439 Nahant-Lynn EMSR
(440) Lynn-Boston via Lynnway EMSR SC 10/ 1/35 to 441 3/ /91
441 Marblehead via Paradise Rd. EMSR SC 10/12/35
442 Marblehead via Humphrey St. EMSR
(443) Swampscott via Humphrey St. EMSR disc. 6/ /02
(444) Swampscott via Forest EMSR disc. 9/ /77
448 Marblehead via Paradise St. new bus 9/ /97
449 Marblehead via Humphrey St. new bus 9/ /97
450 Salem-Boston via Western EMSR SC 8/11/35
(451) Hamilton-Wenham-Beverly EMSR SC 6/24/31 disc. 9/ /71
451 Beverly-Salem EMSR SC 3/ 1/37
(452) Salem-North Shore Mall EMSR SC 5/22/33 disc. 6/ /70
(453) Salem-Salem Willows EMSR SC 6/ 8/35 disc. 12/ /78
(454) Salem-Marblehead EMSR SC 2/ 7/37 disc. 11/ /79
455 Salem-Lynn via Loring EMSR SC 3/22/36
455 Lynn-Boston via Western Ave. from 400 6/ /01
456 Salem-Lynn via Buchanan Bridge EMSR SC 5/ 3/36
(457) Salem-Peabody EMSR SC 3/ 1/37 disc. 12/ /78
(458) Salem-Danvers via North Salem EMSR SC 1931 disc. 6/ /02
(459) Salem-Beverly via Elliot St. EMSR disc. 6/ /71
459 Salem-Boston new bus 9/ /97
465 Liberty Tree Mall-Salem EMSR
(468) Salem-Danvers EMSR SC 6/ 8/35 disc. 2013
Route Route Prior Motor Subsequent
Number Name History Bus History
(500) Riverside-Boston Express new bus 9/ /69 disc. 7/ 1/12
501 Brighton Center-Boston Express new bus 9/ /68
502 Watertown-Copley Express new bus 9/ /68
503 Brighton Center-Copley Express new bus 1/ /05
504 Watertown-Boston Express new bus 7/ /67
505 Waltham-Boston Express new bus 8/ /71
(526) Maynard-Concord M&B 26 (Lovell) disc. 6/ /76
(531) Wayland-Newton M&B 31 SC 9/ 8/24 disc. 2/ /81
(535) Auburndale-Boston College M&B 35 SC 4/ 1/30 disc. 6/ /76
(538) Dedham-Endicott M&B 38 disc. 6/ /74
(541) Endicott-Mattapan M&B 41 disc. 6/ /74
553 Roberts-Newton M&B 20 SC 6/ 9/28
553 Newton-Boston new bus 9/ /96
554 Waverly-Newton M&B 21 SC 8/18/26
554 Newton-Boston new bus 9/ /96
(555) Riverside-Boston Express from 500 12/ /06 disc. 7/ 1/12
556 Waltham Highlands-Newton M&B 22 SC 1/10/26
556 Newton-Boston new bus 9/ /96
558 Riverside-Newton M&B 27 SC 3/14/26
558 Newton-Boston new bus 9/ /96
Route Route Prior Motor Subsequent
Number Name History Bus History
710 Medford-Meadow Glen via Fulton Hudson 1930's
Medford-Stoneham Hudson 1930's disc. 11/ /93
712 Winthrop Highlands-Orient Hts. Rapid 1940
713 Winthrop Center-Orient Hts. Rapid 1940
714 Hull-Hingham Nantasket 1920's
716 Mattapan-Canton Blue H. SC 1922
Canton-Stoughton Blue H.
(718) Salem-Peabody via Jefferson Michaud 1920's disc. 6/ /02
Historically, route 350 was part of a through route to Lowell, cut back to Burlington in 1976 after the Lowell area outside the MBTA area stopped subsidizing the service.Historically, routes 458 and 468 were part of a through route to Lawrence, cut back to Middleton in 1969 after the 1968 acquisition by MBTA as outside the MBTA area.
Historically, route 531 was part of a through route to South Framingham, Hopkinton and Worcester, cut back to South Framingham in 1958.