BaltimoreLink is the name of a multi-year plan by the Maryland Transit Administration to overhaul its system and replace all its buses. Taking place during the years 2015-17, the plan occurred in phases, with the final part occurring in June 2017.
The plan was introduced after Maryland governor Larry Hogan canceled the Red Line rail project and the state received $135 million toward a revamped bus system. Hogan described the system as one that made economic sense and provided access to many more jobs. [1] [2]
The new LINK plan involved replacing all existing bus routes with a new series of routes with different numerical identifications. The center of the plan includes 12 routes on key corridors identified by a color rather than a number known as "high-frequency routes," complimented by other local and express routes. It was compared to an overhaul that the transit system in Houston had recently performed that involved abolishing old bus routes and creating new ones. [3]
The state took more than a year to introduce the plan to the public, holding more than 20 hearings and releasing multiple drafts of the bus system before the final edition was introduced to the public. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-mta-bus-hearings-20160623-story.html
First phase edit
On June 20, 2016, a series of new express bus routes were introduced. http://afro.com/new-mta-bus-routes-will-link-baltimore-residents-and-jobs/
These included:
Second phase edit
On March 1, 2017, two new express bus routes were introduced that provided service to downtown Baltimore from Annapolis and Kent Island. https://patch.com/maryland/annapolis/new-commuter-buses-start-march-1-between-annapolis-baltimore
First draft edit
The first draft, which was largely rejected, included a series of bus routes, many of that operated on streets that at the time did not have bus service, while at the same time, did not offer bus service in areas that had it. This would have forced riders in these areas to walk long distances to reach buses. One of the most highly criticized cuts was that of Route 8 (now Red Route) along Greenmount Avenue.
|- |RED |Lutherville/Towson to Inner Harbor |Replace parts of Routes 8 and 11 |- |PINK |CCBC Essex/Cedonia to West Baltimore |Replace the eastern half of Route 5 and part of Route 20 |- |ORANGE |Fox Ridge to West Baltimore |Replace the eastern half of Route 23 |- |YELLOW |Halethorpe/Kaiser Permanente to Mondawmin |Replace the southern half of Route 36 |- |GOLD |UMBC to downtown |Replace the western half of Route 35 |- |GREEN |Replaces parts of Route 3 and 19 |- |LIME |Operate on Liberty Road/Heights Avenue and parts of North Avenue, Caroline Street, and Eastern Avenue |- |BLUE |Replace western half of Route 40 as a local stop route |- |NAVY |Replace parts of Routes 4, 10, and 31 |- |PURPLE |Replace western half of Route 10 |- |BROWN |Replace eastern half of Route 15 |- |SILVER |Replace Route 64 |- |Route 21 | |- |Route 22 | |- |Route 23 | |- |Route 24 |Replace Route 22 with exact routing |- |Route 25 |Mondawmin to Canton via Fulton Avenue and the Ft. McHenry Tunnel |- |Route 26 | |- |Route 27 | |- |Route 28 |Replace Route 33 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 29 |Replace Route 16 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 30 | |- |Route 31 | |- |Route 32 | |- |Route 33 | |- |Route 34 | |- |Route 35 | |- |Route 36 |Replace part of Route 55 from Towson to Franklin Square Hospital, with routing shift from Northern Parkway to Taylor Avenue |- |Route 37 |Replace parts of Routes 54, 58, 60, and 77. Service via [[Milford Mill Road|Smith Avenue, Slade Avenue, Milford Mill Road, and Rolling Road. |- |Route 38 | |- |Route 39 |Cross county service between UMBC and Curtis Bay via I-195, BWI Airport, and various streets in Linthicum and Glen Burnie. Not implemented. |- |Route 40 |Cross County service between Towson and White Marsh. Not implemented. |- |Route 51 |Stella Maris to Johns Hopkins University. Replace parts of Routes 11, 12, and 61. |- |Route 53 | |- |Route 55 |Replace part of Route 19 |- |Route 57 | |- |Route 59 |Replace parts of Routes 24 and 35 |- |Route 61 | |- |Route 63 | |- |Route 65 | |- |Route 67 | |- |Route 69 |Patapsco Light Rail Stop to Jumper's Hole. Replacing northern part of Route 14. |- |Route 70 |Cromwell Light Rail Stop to Annapolis. Replacing southern part of Route 14. |- |Route 71 | |- |Route 73 | |- |Route 75 | |- |Route 77 | |- |Route 79 | |- |Route 81 |Old Court Metro Station to Deer Park |- |Route 83 |Milford Mill Metro Station to Reservoir Hill. Replace parts of Routes 5, 15, and 53. |- |Route 85 | |- |Route 87 | |- |Route 89 | |- |Route 91 |Mondawmin to Greenspring Station |- |Route 93 | |- |Route 95 | |}
|- | |
Second draft edit
The second draft was revised to keep the coverage in most areas alike. Fewer areas would lose bus service, and many of the routes were more alike those that had previously existed. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-revised-bus-routes-20160705-story.html
|-
|RED
|Replace Route 8
|-
|PINK
|Replace the eastern half of Route 5 and part of Route 20
|-
|ORANGE
|Replace the eastern half of Route 23
|-
|YELLOW
|Replace the southern half of Route 36
|-
|GOLD
|Replace Route 13
|-
|GREEN
|Replaces parts of Route 3 and the northern part of Route 36
|-
|LIME
|Operate on Liberty Road/Heights Avenue and parts of North Avenue, Caroline Street, and Eastern Avenue
|-
|BLUE
|Replace western half of Route 40 as a local stop route
|-
|NAVY
|Replace parts of Routes 4, 10, and 31
|-
|PURPLE
|Replace western half of Route 10
|-
|BROWN
|Replace eastern half of Route 15
|-
|SILVER
|Replace Route 64
|-
|Route 19
|Route 21 | |- |Route 22 |No changes from the original route. This was the only route proposed to keep its identical numbering and routing structure. |- |Route 23 | |- |Route 24 |Replace Route 22 with exact routing |- |Route 25 |Mondawmin to Canton via Fulton Avenue and the Ft. McHenry Tunnel |- |Route 26 | |- |Route 27 | |- |Route 28 |Replace Route 33 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 29 |Replace Route 16 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 30 | |- |Route 31 | |- |Route 32 | |- |Route 33 | |- |Route 34 | |- |Route 35 | |- |Route 36 |Replace part of Route 55 from Towson to Franklin Square Hospital, with routing shift from Northern Parkway to Taylor Avenue |- |Route 37 |Replace parts of Routes 54, 58, 60, and 77. Service via [[Milford Mill Road|Smith Avenue, Slade Avenue, Milford Mill Road, and Rolling Road. |- |Route 38 | |- |Route 39 |Cross county service between UMBC and Curtis Bay via I-195, BWI Airport, and various streets in Linthicum and Glen Burnie. Not implemented. |- |Route 40 |Cross County service between Towson and White Marsh. Not implemented. |- |Route 51 |Stella Maris to Johns Hopkins University. Replace parts of Routes 11, 12, and 61. |- |Route 53 | |- |Route 55 |Replace part of Route 19 |- |Route 57 | |- |Route 59 |Replace parts of Routes 24 and 35 |- |Route 61 | |- |Route 63 | |- |Route 65 | |- |Route 67 | |- |Route 69 |Patapsco Light Rail Stop to Jumper's Hole. Replacing northern part of Route 14. |- |Route 70 |Cromwell Light Rail Stop to Annapolis. Replacing southern part of Route 14. |- |Route 71 | |- |Route 73 | |- |Route 75 | |- |Route 77 | |- |Route 79 | |- |Route 81 |Old Court Metro Station to Deer Park |- |Route 83 |Milford Mill Metro Station to Reservoir Hill. Replace parts of Routes 5, 15, and 53. |- |Route 85 | |- |Route 87 | |- |Route 89 | |- |Route 91 | |- |Route 93 | |}
|- | |
Final draft edit
The final draft was introduced on June _, 2017.
|-
|RED
|Replace Route 8
|-
|PINK
|Replace the eastern half of Route 5 and part of Route 20
|-
|ORANGE
|Replace the eastern half of Route 23
|-
|YELLOW
|Replace the southern half of Route 36
|-
|GOLD
|Replace Route 13
|-
|GREEN
|Replaces parts of Route 3 and the northern part of Route 36
|-
|LIME
|Operate on Liberty Road/Heights Avenue and parts of North Avenue, Caroline Street, and Eastern Avenue
|-
|BLUE
|Replace western half of Route 40 as a local stop route
|-
|NAVY
|Replace parts of Routes 4, 10, and 31
|-
|PURPLE
|Replace western half of Route 10
|-
|BROWN
|Replace eastern half of Route 15
|-
|SILVER
|Replace Route 64
|-
|Route 19
|Route 21 | |- |Route 22 |No changes from the original route. This was the only route proposed to keep its identical numbering and routing structure. |- |Route 23 | |- |Route 24 |Replace Route 22 with exact routing |- |Route 25 |Mondawmin to Canton via Fulton Avenue and the Ft. McHenry Tunnel |- |Route 26 | |- |Route 27 | |- |Route 28 |Replace Route 33 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 29 |Replace Route 16 with nearly identical routing |- |Route 30 | |- |Route 31 | |- |Route 32 | |- |Route 33 | |- |Route 34 | |- |Route 35 | |- |Route 36 |Replace part of Route 55 from Towson to Franklin Square Hospital, with routing shift from Northern Parkway to Taylor Avenue |- |Route 37 |Old Court Metro Station to UMBC |Replaced portion of Route 77 between Old Court and UMBC |- |Route 38 | |- |- |Route 40 |Cross County service between Towson and White Marsh. Not implemented. |- |Route 52 |Stella Maris to [[North Avenue |Stella Maris to Johns Hopkins University. Replace parts of Routes 11, 12, and 61. |- |Route 53 | |- |Route 55 |Replace part of Route 19 |- |Route 57 | |- |Route 59 |Replace parts of Routes 24 and 35 |- |Route 61 | |- |Route 63 | |- |Route 65 | |- |Route 67 | |- |Route 69 |Patapsco Light Rail Stop to Jumper's Hole. Replacing northern part of Route 14. |- |Route 70 |Cromwell Light Rail Stop to Annapolis. Replacing southern part of Route 14. |- |Route 71 | |- |Route 73 | |- |Route 75 | |- |Route 77 | |- |Route 79 | |- |Route 81 |Milford Mill Station to Deer Park |Replaced part of Route 54, with extension west from old Randallstown loop. |- |Route 83 | |- |Route 85 |Milford Mill Station to North Avenue |Replaced a portion of Route 54 |- |Route 87 | |- |Route 89 |Rogers Avenue Metro Station to Owings Mills Town Center |Replaced Route 59, with service extended south to Rogers to better connect to other routes |- |Route 91 |Sinai Hospital to Mondawmin |Replaced a portion of Route 1 |- |Route 93 |Hunt Valley to Towson |Replaced Route 9 |}
Replacements edit
The old routes, as they previously operated, were replaced with the following new routes:
Structural changes edit
The LINK plan involved some changes to the physical structure in order to improve its routes.
Bus lanes were added on some streets in downtown Baltimore. This plan was controversial because it took away lanes from automobile traffic.
The West Baltimore MARC Station had a new bus hub constructed. This was to facilitate easy, safe, comfortable transfers between several of the new routes. http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/05/new-bus-hub-taking-shape-in-west.html?m=1
Criticism edit
The initial phase of proposal was criticized heavily because it would have taken away bus service on numerous streets that had bus service for decades, thereby requiring riders to walk extra blocks to reach buses. At the same time, bus service was proposed on many streets where residents are not accustomed to service and where there was no ridership base that would support a bus route. Most of these changes were subsequently abandoned in the second draft, and many of the remainder were abandoned in the final draft or delayed until later dates.
The renumbering of bus routes, many of that had identical or similar routes to previous ones, was criticized for the confusion it might cause riders. An education campaign was undertaken to let as many riders as possible know about these changes.
There was much criticism about the loss of single-seat service that had previously existed between two points. Some communities lost direct service downtown.
The designation of traffic lanes on downtown Baltimore streets as bus lanes was criticized for taking away lanes that were needed for heavy volumes of traffic.