The
Maryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Baltimore-Washingt ...
was originally known as the Baltimore Metropolitan Transit Authority, then the Maryland Mass Transit Administration before it changed to its current name in October 2001. The MTA took over the operations of the old Baltimore Transit Company on April 30, 1970.
![Historic no](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Historic_no.8_streetcar%2C_Baltimore_Streetcar_Museum.jpg)
Many routes of the agency's current bus lines are based on the original streetcars operated by the Baltimore Transit Company and its parent companies between the 1890s and 1960s. All of these routes were ultimately converted to rubber tire bus operations, and many were consolidated, extended into newly developed areas, or otherwise reconfigured to keep up with the ridership demands of the times.
Additional routes and extensions were added in later years to serve newly developed communities and to feed into Metro and Light Rail stations.
With the growth in popularity of the private automobile during the 20th century, streetcar and bus ridership declined, and the needs for public transportation changed. Mass transit in Baltimore and other cities shifted from a corporate operation to a tax-subsidized, state-run service. The amount of service provided was greatly reduced. Some areas once served by streetcars are now served minimally by buses or not at all.
The demise of the Baltimore streetcar took place between the years of 1947 and 1963, hastened by
National City Lines
National City Lines, Inc. (NCL) was a public transportation company. The company grew out of the Fitzgerald brothers' bus operations, founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses. Part of the ...
' acquisition, which said that buses offered lower maintenance and had greater flexibility in traffic. With its rails demolished, Baltimore was no longer a streetcar city. As transit needs and trends changed, rail transit did return to the city, with the
Metro Subway opening in 1983 and the
Light Rail in 1992.
The
track gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...
was . This
track gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...
is now confined to the
Baltimore Streetcar Museum
The Baltimore Streetcar Museum (BSM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum. It is located at 1911 Falls Road ( MD 25) in Baltimore, Maryland. The museum is dedicated to preserving Baltimore's public transportation history, especially the streetcar er ...
.
Parent companies
The following bus companies operated many of the services later provided by the Maryland Transit Administration:
Baltimore Transit Company
The Baltimore Transit Company (BTCO) was a privately owned
public transit
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
operator that provided
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
and
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
service in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
from 1935. It was the successor to the old
United Railways and Electric Company
The United Railways and Electric Company was a street railway company in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Maryland from 1899 to 1935.
In 1900, the company built the Power Plant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to provide electrical ...
, formed in 1899 to consolidate and operate Baltimore's streetcar lines.
The company was purchased in 1948 by
National City Lines
National City Lines, Inc. (NCL) was a public transportation company. The company grew out of the Fitzgerald brothers' bus operations, founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses. Part of the ...
and the streetcar system was then run down in favor of buses, a process repeated in many places, which became known as the
Great American Streetcar Scandal
The General Motors streetcar conspiracy refers to the convictions of General Motors (GM) and related companies that were involved in the monopolizing of the sale of buses and supplies to National City Lines (NCL) and subsidiaries, as well as to ...
. The last streetcar ran in 1963. Between 1940-1959, Baltimore Transit also operated
trolley buses (or "trackless trolleys") on six lines, including Howard Street and Federal Street.
BTCO was absorbed by what is now the
Maryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Baltimore-Washingt ...
in 1970. The BTC oversaw the elimination of streetcar service in favor of bus service in 1963 when the last streetcar routes, the number 8 providing service from
Catonsville
Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...
to
Towson
Towson () is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Baltimore County and the second-most populous unincorp ...
and the number 15 (Overlea to Walbrook Junction) were eliminated on November 3, 1963.
In the midst of the
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
, the BTCO fired a white bus driver who claimed to be the Grand Wizard of the Baltimore Ku Klux Klan. A labor arbitrator ruled in favor of BTCO in this firing, which was in part spurred by other white drivers threatening to strike if the man was not dismissed.
Old Court Bus Lines
Old Court Bus Lines was a service that provided van transport in northwest Baltimore County.
Its lines served places including
Stevenson and
Villa Julie College
Stevenson University is a private university in Baltimore County, Maryland with two campuses, one in Stevenson and one in Owings Mills. The university enrolls approximately 3,615 undergraduate and graduate students. Formerly known as Villa Julie ...
. These services have been provided by MTA since 1973, though much of them have been cut back or modified.
Bus Route 60 serves Stevenson University, which used to be known as Villa Julie.
Rosedale Passenger Lines
Operated service in eastern Baltimore County.
Most of its services later became a part of
Bus Route 23. The only one still provided by MTA is service to
Victory Villa, on
Route 4.
Dundalk Bus Lines
Dundalk Bus Lines provided service in various parts of southeast Baltimore County between 1940 and 1972. MTA serves some of these areas with
Bus Route 4.
McMahon Services
Operated in northeast Baltimore County to locales such as
Lutherville and
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
. The only route incorporated by MTA was
Route 19A,
which later became known as Route 105. Discontinued in 2005.
Job Express Transit
Operated several routes during the 1960s. Most notably, Route H became known as the #7 Rosewood Express serving
Rosewood Center
The Rosewood Center was an institution for people with developmental disabilities located on Rosewood Lane in Owings Mills, Maryland.
It was established in 1888 as the Asylum and Training School for the Feeble-Minded. From 1912 to 1961, it was k ...
for more than 30 years. The #7 Rosewood Express service ultimately became
Route 102 in 2000, and was absorbed by Route M-17 in 2005. Route M-17, along with this service, was eliminated in 2009.
Auxiliary Bus Lines
Operated some of the routes around the city, such as what is now
Route 51.
Baltimore Streetcar Museum
A track providing service at the
Baltimore Streetcar Museum
The Baltimore Streetcar Museum (BSM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum. It is located at 1911 Falls Road ( MD 25) in Baltimore, Maryland. The museum is dedicated to preserving Baltimore's public transportation history, especially the streetcar er ...
was designated in 1970 as
Route 25, and was renamed LocalLink 25 in June 2017.
June 2017 Bus Redesign
There was a bus redesign in June 2017 called BaltimoreLink.
Local routes prior to June 2017
Neighborhood Shuttle Bug routes prior to June 2017
Shuttle and Circulator routes prior to June 2017
School Supplementary routes prior to June 2017
Local Express routes prior to June 2017
Note:
* All AM trips are to Downtown Baltimore
* All PM trips are to outer-points usually the suburbs of Baltimore
* Local express routes are not individual routes
QuickBus routes prior to June 2017
Express routes prior to June 2017
Former bus routes
See also
*
United Railways and Electric Company
The United Railways and Electric Company was a street railway company in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Maryland from 1899 to 1935.
In 1900, the company built the Power Plant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to provide electrical ...
References
{{MTA Maryland
Maryland Transit Administration
MTA Maryland
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Baltimore-Washingt ...
5 ft 4½ in gauge railways