page_title: MBTA nomenclature
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: MBTA nomenclature / Buses and streetcars / History
caption_attribution_description: Original caption&#58; "Type 4 #5217, a Laconia Car Co. product of 1911 in its original as-delivered mode. The large destination sign later was removed and a smaller destination sign installed over the front center window. These cars were later dubbed (low-sign) 4s, and the others made by Jewett and St. Louis Car Co. were called (High sign) 4s with the destination box at the end of the clerestory roof. The car is seen on Blue Hill Ave at Franklin Park en route to Dudley Street Terminal in 1911."
context_page_description: The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority maintains a large public transit system in the Boston, Massachusetts area, and uses various methods to name and number their services for the convenience of users.
context_section_description: The first numbers used were implemented with Hunter sign boxes, approximately from 1910 to 1917. Numbers were three digits, with the first referring to the division. In 1918, the network was substantially reorganized, and numbers were no longer used. However, from then until 1967, a similar four-digit system was used internally.
  Numbers resembling the current system were first assigned on the 1936 map. However, until the 1942 edition, the numbers changed with each new printing as routes were added and removed. In addition, these routes were only used on the map, not even on schedules. From 1942 on, the numbers generally remained the same, with a minor renumbering in 1967 prior to implementing the numbers on rollsigns and schedules.
  As the MBTA began to take over suburban bus systems, it assigned them numbers in higher ranges.
  The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway's buses were taken over on March 30, 1968, and numbers were assigned as follows:
  Lowell area routes were numbered from 201 to 216. 215 was truncated to lie within the Boston area and was renumbered 136 in March 1969. The rest were either discontinued or renumbered in the 700 series in March 1970, being operated under contract for Lowell. Several of these have since been truncated and renumbered in the 300 series in the 1980s.
  Lawrence area routes were numbered from 301 to 318. 318 became 137 in March 1969, as it was transferred to the Boston division. All other routes were removed by late 1968.
  Lynn area routes were numbered from 401 to 451. Some in the Melrose area were renumbered from 131 to 135 when they were moved to existing MBTA garages in March 1969. In early 1970 the rest were renumbered to different 400-series numbers.
  Quincy area routes were assigned numbers from 501 to 524. In June 1970, they were renumbered from 210 to 279, with a completely changed order.
  Brockton area routes were given numbers from 600 to 617. 616 became the 34E, an extension of the 34, in December 1968, when it was shifted to the Arborway Garage. Several others became Quincy-area routes and were given 200-series numbers in June 1970. The rest were discontinued in 1968 and December 1969.
  The Middlesex and Boston Street Railway buses were subsidized by the MBTA in September 1964, and they were assigned numbers from 20 to 36 (extended to 39 in November 1967, on the takeover of routes from Transit Bus Lines), duplicating existing MBTA numbers. The MBTA took over the M&B on June 30, 1972, and added a 5 in front. The routes were given unused numbers from 52 to 76 in September 1982, and in 1996 the ones operating express to downtown Boston via the Mass Pike were again assigned a 5 in front.
caption: The 1911 numbering system – this route went along the east side of Franklin Park and ended at Dudley Square with a transfer to the Washington Street Elevated
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