Baltimore's Bus Overhaul Hasn't Increased Ridership

Service has notably improved, but that hasn't been enough to boost ridership so far.

1 minute read

November 17, 2017, 9:00 AM PST

Elvert Barnes / Flickr

"Five months after the Maryland Transit Administration rerouted its entire Baltimore-area bus network, buses now arrive on time about 80 percent of the time, but ridership remains flat," reports the Baltimore Sun.

The $135 million bus system overhaul called BaltimoreLink has increased reliability by 9 percent, thanks in part to new bus-only lanes designed to help buses bypass gridlock downtown and traffic-light sensors that extend green lights and shorten red ones for them, among other measures.

BaltimoreLink has been controversial since it was first proposed by Maryland Governor Hogan in 2015 as an alternative to a major rail project. In the Sun, MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn stresses that it's too soon to assess the program's impacts, and suggests reevaluating in June 2018.

FULL STORY: Five months later, MTA's $135 million BaltimoreLink bus overhaul has increased reliability, but ridership remains flat

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 in The Baltimore Sun

Transportation Maryland Baltimore Bus Ridership Declining Ridership Maryland Transit Administration Kevin Quinn Bus Service Bus-Only Lanes BaltimoreLink View More

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