Baltimore City will expand its Charm City Circulator buses’ Green and Orange routes to reach residents in more neighborhoods.
“We’re focused on expanding transit access in every single neighborhood of our city, especially those that have been without reliable transit for far too long,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement.
Route changes will begin Dec. 7. The Green Route, which travels to stops like Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, will be extended to serve the Broadway East, Oliver, and East Baltimore Midway neighborhoods in East Baltimore.
The service expansions will help connect more Baltimore residents with job opportunities and essential services, Scott said.
Green Route buses will be rerouted from Fleet Street and Broadway south of Fayette Street in order to reach parts of Orleans Street and North Broadway that public transit does not currently serve.
A new stop will be added to the Orange Route at Maritime Park along Caroline Street in Fells Point. The Orange Route travels to locations such as Hollins Market, Camden Yards, and Little Italy.
“We are thrilled to launch these improvements to the Green and Orange Routes, but our work does not stop here,” said Veronica P. McBeth, director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, in a statement. “These enhancements are just the beginning of smart, sustainable transit planning in action to develop a long-term, equitable roadmap for fare-free Circulator service.”
Following the Dec. 7 changes, the Green Route will run every 20 minutes and the Orange Route will run about every 10 minutes.
“This is about more than just moving buses; it’s about providing fast, friendly, and free transit for all Baltimoreans,” Scott said.
City officials are encouraging riders to download the Passio Go! app for real-time information about bus locations.
The changes to the circulator routes were informed by the Transit Development Plan process, which was conducted in 2021 and 2022 to improve public transit service equity and effectiveness.
The route expansions will use the Charm City Circulator’s existing 23-bus fleet and current budget.
Okay–more stops, longer routes, but no additional busses? Sounds like poorer-quality service would be inevitable.