Charm City Circulator

Last updated
Charm City Circulator
Charm City Circulator logo.svg
CCC Orion VII 1206 Purple.jpg
A 2011-model OBI Orion VII 07.501 EPA10 HEV "BRT"
Parent Baltimore City Department of Transportation
Commenced operationJanuary 11, 2010
Locale Baltimore, Maryland
Service area Downtown Baltimore
Service type Downtown circulator bus service
RoutesBus: 4
Water Taxi: 3
StopsBus: 101
Water Taxi: 3
Fleet26
See fleet roster below
Fuel type Clean diesel, Hybrid
Website Official website

The Charm City Circulator (CCC or Downtown Circulator) is a privately funded, public transit downtown circulator shuttle service giving riders connection to historic sites, parking, and businesses throughout downtown Baltimore for free. The newest transit system in Maryland was established in 2008, but did not begin inaugural service until January 11, 2010 because of funding issues. The system operates four routes on major streets throughout downtown. The system also connects to the city's water taxi and MTA Maryland.

Contents

History

The Charm City Circulator started as a plan by former mayor Sheila Dixon to make Baltimore an eco-friendly city and utilize transport throughout Downtown without the patron spending a dime. The plan was to launch three routes connecting across the inner-city, but delays in bus delivery caused routes to be implemented over 18 months rather than all at once. Service is seven days-a-week, with ten-minute intervals between buses. On January 11, 2010; the Orange Route became the pilot service for the Charm City Circulator travelling east-west via Pratt Street/Lombard Street, Central Avenue, and Baltimore Street. As soon as three months after service of the first line begin, the "CCC" reached the 100,000 riders milestone. Nearly six months later on June 4, the Purple Route began service travelling north-south via Charles Street & St. Paul/Light Streets. The much anticipated Green Route recently began service just outside downtown connecting City Hall to Johns Hopkins Medical Center via Broadway, Fleet Street, and President Street. On August 15, 2011, the city of Baltimore received $1.6 million in federal funds to expand service to Fort McHenry in early 2012. The "Banner Route" or Blue Route was intended to relieve congestion and make it easier for visitors to get to/from the famous landmark in time for the War of 1812 bicentennial celebration.

Bus routes

RouteNumbered stopsMajor streetsTourist connectionMTA connectionBegan service
Green: Johns Hopkins to City Hall via Fells Point101–126
  • Rail: (M)
  • Bus: 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15, 19, 20, 23, 26, 31, qb40, qb46, qb47, qb48, 91, 104, 105, 110, 115, 119, 120, 150, 160, 410, 411, 420
November 1, 2011
Orange: Harbor East to Hollins Market201–228
  • Rail: (L), (M), (MARC/Camden Line)
  • Bus: 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 17, 19, 20, 27, 31, 35, qb46, qb48, 61, 64, 110, 119, 120, 160, 310, 320, 410, 411, 420
January 11, 2010
Purple: Federal Hill to 33rd Street via Penn Station301–327
  • Rail: (L), (M), (MARC/Penn Line)
  • Bus: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 31, 35, 36, qb40, qb46, qb48, 61, 64, 91, 103, 105, 110, 115, 119, 120, 150, 160, 164, 310, 320, 410, 411, 420
June 4, 2010 (33rd Street Expansion October 5, 2015)
Banner: Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry401–420
  • Bus: 1, 3, 7, 10, 11, 19, 31, 35, 61, 64, 103, 119, 164
June 4, 2012
Legend = (L): Light Rail, (M): Metro Subway

Water taxi harbor connector routes

DestinationsBus connectionFrequencyYear begin
  • Maritime Park to Tide Point
  • Canton Waterfront Park to Tide Point
  • CCC: Green
  • MTA: 13
  • Maritime Park to Tide Point
    • 15 minutes
  • Canton Waterfront Park to Tide Point
    • 30 minutes
2011
  • Harbor East to Harbor View
  • CCC: Banner, Green
2012 (TBD)[ needs update ]

Bus fleet roster

YearPhotoManufacturerModelLengthFuel or propulsionPowertrainFleet series
(qty.)
Notes
Active Roster
2011-12 CCC Orion VII 1206 Purple.jpg OBI
[1] [2] [3]
Orion VII 07.501 EPA10 HEV "BRT" 40 feet (12 m) Diesel-electric hybrid Cummins ISB6.7 BAE Systems HybriDrive system 1201–1212
(12)
  • Arrived November 2011
  • Replaced 0901-0913
  • 1209-1212 wrapped in "Banner Route" decals
  • 1204 Retired
2020 Nova Bus [4] LFS TL40102A Diesel Cummins L9 Allison B3400xFE (12)
  • 6 buses from NovaBus entering into service as of February 2020.
  • 6 additional buses from NovaBus to enter service in Fall 2020. [4]
Retired Roster
2009 CCC Designline 0913.jpg DesignLine ECOSaver IV30 feet (9.1 m) Hybrid Capstone C30 BRI AC motor 0901–0913
(13)
  • Retired in spring 2012 due to reliability issues [5] [6]
2011 CCC Vanhool A300.jpg Van Hool A300L40 feet (12 m) Diesel Cummins ISL9 Voith D864.5 1101–1105
(5)
  • Bus #1105 has three doors
  • Engine compartment placed in left-center of vehicle
  • As of 2020, all Van Hool buses are retired.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland Transit Administration</span> Public transit authority of the state of 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-Washington Metropolitan Area. There are 80 bus lines serving the Baltimore Metropolitan Area, along with rail services that include the Light Rail, Metro Subway, and MARC Train. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 44,612,100, or about 156,900 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022. With nearly half the population of Baltimore residents lacking access to a car, the MTA is an important part of the regional transit picture. The system has many connections to other transit agencies of Central Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and south-central Pennsylvania : WMATA, Charm City Circulator, Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland, Annapolis Transit, Rabbit Transit, Ride-On, and TransIT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Transit Authority</span>

The Manchester Transit Authority, or MTA, is a public transportation provider in Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded in 1973 and operates 13 regular bus routes through the city, including a free downtown circulator, which was rebranded as the Green DASH in 2011. In general, service is hourly, with more frequent service along corridors served by multiple routes, and especially on the Green DASH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Metro SubwayLink</span> Rapid transit line in Maryland

The Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving the greater area of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, and is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, and most of the line outside the central city is elevated or at surface grade. In 2021, the line had a ridership of 1,667,400, or about 4,200 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Light RailLink</span> Light rail transit system serving Baltimore

Baltimore Light RailLink is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, as well as its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. In downtown Baltimore, it uses city streets. Outside the central portions of the city, the line is built on private rights-of-way, mostly from the defunct Northern Central Railway, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad and Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 2,718,100, or about 12,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 80 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route in Baltimore, Maryland

LocalLink 80 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. LocalLink 80 is part of the high frequency network of the local bus system. The route consists of a leg originating in Downtown Baltimore and goes on to serve the Garrison Boulevard corridor in the northwest of the city. Route 80 and its predecessor, route 91, has carried some of the highest ridership out of Baltimore's local bus network throughout its history. The line was the first in the city to be assigned articulated buses, which are now used to meet the higher capacity requirements of the frequent lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 40 (MTA Quickbus)</span> Bus route operating from Woodlawn to Middle River, Maryland, US

Quickbus 40 was a limited stop bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line was discontinued in June 2017 as part of the BaltimoreLink system rebranding along with the other "Quickbus" limited-stop routes. In April 2022, the MTA announced a proposal to revive the route before the end of the same year as the QuickLink 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 75 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

LocalLink 75 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the Patapsco Light Rail Stop to Parkway Center in Anne Arundel County, via BWI Airport and Arundel Mills. Weekend trips and some weekday trips on this line terminate at Arundel Mills. The line operates between BWI Airport and downtown Baltimore during hours when the light rail is not operating.

Route 51 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the center of Towson to the Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore, serving the Charles Street corridor. Route 51 replaced Route 11 on June 18, 2017 due to the BaltimoreLink bus system overhaul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 95 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

LocalLink 95 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. The line currently runs from the intersection of Roland Avenue and Lake Avenue in Roland Park south to the Inner Harbor via Roland Avenue, University Parkway, Charles Street and St. Paul Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 54 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

Route 54 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The route was formerly known as Route 19 prior to 2017. The line currently runs from the State Center Metro Subway Station to the intersection of Harford Road and Northern Parkway. From there it splits into two branches. About one half of buses continue operating along Harford Road to the Carney Park-and-Ride just north of the I-695 interchange, and the other half to the intersection of Goucher Boulevard and Taylor Avenue in Towson via Northern, McLean Boulevard, Hillsway, and Taylor. The line serves the communities of Montebello, Hamilton, and Parkville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route 7 (MTA Maryland)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

Route 7 was a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. The line, which operated between 1959 and 2017, ran from Canton, Baltimore to the Mondawmin Metro Subway Station, serving the communities of Butcher's Hill, Little Italy, and Sandtown-Winchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityLink Purple (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

Route 10 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Catonsville to Bullneck Road/Turner's Station Dundalk mostly along the corridors of Frederick Road on the west side and Eastern Avenue on the east side, serving the communities of Yale Heights, Pigtown, downtown Baltimore, Fells Point, and Highlandtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityLink Gold (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore

CityLink Gold is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. It replaced Route 13 in 2017. The line currently runs from Walbrook Junction in West Baltimore to Canton, mostly along North Avenue. The line has two main branches, both operating to Canton: one that operates via Fells Point and the other via Linwood and East Streets. Both these branches serve Johns Hopkins Hospital. Additionally, selected trips on weekdays and Saturdays operate to the block of Milton Avenue, Federal Street, and Patterson Park Avenue.

TransIT Services of Frederick County is a public transportation agency in Frederick County, Maryland, that is operated by the county government. The agency currently operates 9 Connector bus routes, mostly in the city of Frederick, 5 shuttles, and demand-response for seniors and persons with disabilities. TransIT provides connections to other public transportation services in the region, including the MTA Maryland's routes 204 and 515 commuter bus and MARC Train service. According to the agency's homepage, the service had approximately 909,800 boardings in FY 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTA BaltimoreLink</span>

The Maryland Transit Administration provides the primary public bus service for the Baltimore metropolitan area and commuter bus service in other parts of the state of Maryland. There are currently 76 bus routes, which include 45 LocalLink routes, 12 High Frequency CityLink Routes routes, 8 express bus routes, 19 commuter bus routes, and 5 Intercounty Connector or "ICC" routes. The local and commuter bus routes operate in conjunction with one subway line, three light rail lines, MARC train service, and various connections to other transit agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 29 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

LocalLink 29 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. The line currently runs from the Mondawmin Metro Subway Station in Northwest Baltimore to Brooklyn Homes in South Baltimore through the communities of Rosemont and the corridors of Hilton Street, Caton Avenue, and Patapsco Avenue. During peak hours, selected trips operate via Violetville Industrial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityLink Lime (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

CityLink Lime is a CityLink bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the Mondawmin Metro Subway Station along Liberty Heights Avenue and Liberty Road to a loop known as in Milford Mill with buses marked as "Milford Mill". The loop is composed of a square block, consisting of Liberty Road, Rolling Road, Church Lane, and Milford Mill Road. The spot of the layover depends on the time of day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LocalLink 31 (BaltimoreLink)</span> Bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration

Route 57 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the Rogers Avenue Metro Subway Station in Northwest Baltimore to Security Square Mall, with selected trips to the Social Security Administration headquarters in Woodlawn. The line serves the corridor of Gwynn Oak Avenue and the communities of Howard Park, Gwynn Oak, and Windsor Mill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkins Point, Baltimore</span> Neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Hawkins Point is a neighborhood in the South District of Baltimore, located at the southern tip of the city between Curtis Bay (north) and the Anne Arundel County line (south) and Thoms Cove (east). Its land area covers 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), and it had a population of 24 people according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The neighborhood is predominantly industrial.

UMBC Transit is the official bus system of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Along with the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), the UMBC community has public transit access to nearby areas such as Catonsville, Arbutus, Maryland, and Baltimore City.

References

  1. "Circulator marks a year on the streets". Baltimore Sun. January 11, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  2. "Preview!: Charm City Circulator (City of Baltimore) 2011 Orion VII NG BRT #1202". WMATAvids. September 25, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  3. "Daimler showcases Orion buses with added features, technology". metro-magazine. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Campbell, Colin. "Baltimore's Charm City Circulator adding six new buses next week to remedy persistent service issues". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  5. "For the Charm City Circulator, 'growing pains are inevitable'". Baltimore Business Journal. August 26, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
  6. "Circulator marks a year on the streets". Baltimore Sun. January 11, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.