# mbta.transit.routes

List Boston MBTA transit routes by type — subway (Red/Orange/Blue/Green lines), commuter rail (Providence, Fairmount, etc.), bus, and ferry. Returns route ID, long name, type label, direction names and destinations, fare class, and brand color. Route IDs returned here are used as filter inputs for mbta-transit.stops, mbta-transit.alerts, and mbta-transit.predictions. Filter by type: 0=Light Rail, 1=Heavy Rail/Subway, 2=Commuter Rail, 3=Bus, 4=Ferry. MassDOT Open Data License, no upstream cost.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `mbta.transit.routes`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/mbta.transit.routes

## Facts

- Tool: `mbta.transit.routes`
- Server: Apibase (`apibase-mcp-client`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase.md
- Install: `npx -y apibase-mcp-client`
- Homepage: https://github.com/whiteknightonhorse/APIbase
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 3
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `sort` | string | no | Sort order: "sort_order" (default MBTA order), "long_name" alphabetical, prefix "-" for descending |
| `type` | string | no | Filter by route type: 0=Light Rail, 1=Heavy Rail/Subway, 2=Commuter Rail, 3=Bus, 4=Ferry. Omit for all types. |
| `limit` | integer | no | Maximum number of routes to return (default 50, max 100) |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "mbta.transit.routes",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why mbta.transit.routes is rated Low

Tool retrieves public transit route information with no side effects, modifications, or external operations.

From the tool's own definition: "List Boston MBTA transit routes by type — returns route ID, long name, type label, direction names and destinations."

## Use case

AI agents call mbta.transit.routes to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Apibase:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "mbta.transit.routes": {}
  }
}
```

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## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase