FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Agency Encourages Public Feedback on Route Adjustments and Fare Policy During Hearings and Comment Period

BALTIMORE, MD (April 29, 2025) – 

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration today released its 2025 Fall Service Change Proposal with a focus on improving connections, safety and reliability while adapting to changing rider needs. The full draft of the proposal is available on the agency’s website at www.mta.maryland.gov/fall2025 as well as in the lobby of the Maryland Transit Administration headquarters at 6 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21202.  The fall schedule changes are proposed to take effect Sunday, August 24, 2025, following public hearings and a public comment period.

“Our service changes are an opportunity to increase the access and reliability our bus network,” said Maryland Transit Administrator Holly Arnold. “The public comment period allows us to directly engage with our riders and ensure their needs are being met.”

The public comment period is open now through July 14. The agency will hold two virtual public hearings on Tuesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 12 to gather important feedback from riders and stakeholders about these proposed changes. For more information on how to participate in the virtual hearings as well as the various ways to submit a comment, visit www.mta.maryland.gov/fall2025. Riders needing additional information can call the Transit Information Contact Center at 410-539-5000.

Here is a summary of the 2025 Fall Service Change Proposal:

Service Enhancements

The following service enhancements are proposed to improve reliability and connectivity for riders: 

• QuickLink 40
  Extend service to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the western end of the route and to Fox Ridge on the eastern end for all trips to provide additional limited-stop connections to downtown Baltimore. QuickLink 40 was launched in August 2023 to reduce east-west travel times and provide better connections to housing, employment centers and shopping destinations.
   
• LocalLink 34
  Extend service to the Catonsville Walmart to provide new connections from northwest of US-40 to retail centers. Service frequency will also improve to every 30 minutes during the daytime.
   
• LocalLink 63
  Extend all trips to the Gardenville Loop to improve service between Gardenville and Bayview.   
   
• LocalLink 87
  Extend all trips to Reisterstown Regional Park to improve access to recreational facilities in the community. 
   
• CityLink Yellow
  To improve overall reliability, the route would end at Guilford Avenue and Centre Street. Ridership data indicates most riders traveling from the north end their trip in downtown. Service on the “northern half” of the CityLink Yellow is proposed to be incorporated into the LocalLink 91 with increases in service frequency. 
   
• LocalLink 91
  Extend service to downtown Baltimore from its current terminus at Mondawmin to provide frequent service using the CityLink Yellow’s “northern” alignment. The extended LocalLink 91 is proposed to operate every 15 minutes between downtown Baltimore and Mondawmin and every 30 minutes between Mondawmin and Sinai Hospital.
   
• CityLink Navy, LocalLink 28, LocalLink 80, Express BusLink 103, Express BusLink154
  Additional trips for each of these routes to improve service delivery and reduce crowding.

Service Adjustments:

Route adjustments are proposed for the CityLink Brown, CityLink Navy and LocalLink 33 in response to changes in road alignments and to improve safety.  A complete description of the proposed adjustments is available at www.mta.maryland.gov/fall2025.

Fare Update:

In addition to the proposed route changes, the agency is updating its fare structure for core services including Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, Mobility and Call-a-Ride services. The updated fare tariff will bring the agency into compliance with changes in Maryland state law and is proposed to go into effect on July 27, 2025. The changes to the fares include:

• Allowing all students to take advantage of the savings of “All Access College Transit Pass” and updating the name to “All Access Student Transit Pass;”
• Eliminating single-use pre-paid student tickets;
• Increasing the transfer window from 90 minutes to 120 minutes; and
• Fare enforcement policies including a surcharge of $5 for light rail riders that do not have a valid ticket at the time of fare inspection.
• The complete fare policy guide is available at mta.maryland.gov/fall2025. Public comments can be submitted through July 14, 2025.

In conjunction with the Fall Service Change Proposal, the Maryland Transit Administration is launching a Bus Stop Optimization Program, BalanceBmore, to further improve bus reliability and enhance the rider experience. Bus stop balancing evaluates the spacing between existing stops to reduce delays caused by frequent stopping. Stops may be added, relocated, consolidated or discontinued to improve access and maintain safety.

The initial phase of this program will incorporate reviews of bus stops along the CityLink Silver and LocalLinks 22, 29 and 67. Changes will be implemented with the agency’s summer service change on Sunday, June 15, 2025. To learn more about this program and proposed changes, view the interactive map or to submit comments visit mta.maryland.gov/balancebmore or call 410-454-1929.

The Maryland Transit Administration is one of the largest multi-modal transit systems in the United States, operating systems that include Local Bus, Commuter Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train Service and a comprehensive Mobility paratransit network. Our goal is to provide safe, efficient, and reliable transit across Maryland with world-class customer service. To learn more, visit mta.maryland.gov, check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/mtamaryland, Instagram at MTA Maryland and follow us on X @mtamaryland and bluesky@mta.maryland.gov.