South Station Bus Terminal

The South Station Bus Terminal is a bus station located at South Station in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is Boston's main terminal for regional commuter bus and intercity bus service, with 42 bus berths used by 10 operators. The industrial-style structure is built on air rights above the South Station rail platforms. It has two full levels – a bus deck and a rooftop parking deck – plus several partial levels. South Station Bus Terminal is owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

Beginning in the late 1950s, city and state agencies proposed a large parking garage with a bus terminal at South Station. It was intended to replace two existing terminals in the Park Square area. The Boston Redevelopment Authority purchased South Station in 1965 with plans to redevelop the site. Planning for the development continued over the following decades. The 1980 and 1981 environmental impact statements proposed a three-level terminal with a concourse deck, bus deck, and parking deck; a later phase would add commercial development on top.

The 1984–1989 reconstruction of South Station added footings to support the air rights project. Final design for the bus terminal was completed in 1990. Due to budget limitations, it had fewer bus berths and parking spaces than previously planned. Construction begin in September 1992 and the terminal opened on October 28, 1995. The ramps to the terminal were reconfigured in 2003–2005 by the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig). As part of the South Bay Interchange, a new elevated connector road was built with direct ramps to/from I-93 and the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Expansion of the terminal was added to plan for the commercial air rights development (which became the South Station Tower) before the terminal even opened. Revisions to the plan were released in 1998 and 2002, but the project was delayed by the Great Recession. It was revived in 2016 with further modifications; construction began in January 2020. The expansion opened on November 4, 2025, adding 13 bus berths and a direct connection to the South Station concourse area.