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 Washington-Baltimore 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 2023, the system had a ridership of 52,922,000, or about 186,900 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) is a commuter rail system in the Washington–Baltimore area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and operated under contract by Alstom and Amtrak on track owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Amtrak. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,860,600, or about 10,800 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024, less than pre-COVID-19 pandemic weekday ridership of 40,000.
The Purple Line is a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) light rail line being built to link several Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.: Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton. Currently slated to open in late 2027, the line will also enable riders to move between the Maryland branches of the Red, Green, and Orange lines of the Washington Metro without riding into central Washington, and between all three lines of the MARC commuter rail system. The project is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), an agency of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and not the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates Metro.
The Baltimore Metro SubwayLink is a rapid transit line serving Baltimore, Maryland, and its northwestern suburbs, operated by the Maryland Transit Administration. The segment in Downtown Baltimore is underground, while most of the line outside the central city is elevated or at surface grade. In 2023, the line had a ridership of 1,988,300, or about 14,400 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
The Baltimore Light RailLink is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and its northern and southern 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. The system had a ridership of 3,546,300, or about 14,400 per weekday, as of the first quarter of 2024.
The DC Circulator is a bus system in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Department of Transportation operates the service in a public–private partnership with RATP Dev.
Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Its fleet consists of 1,595 buses covering an area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2) in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are 269 bus routes serving 11,129 stops, including 2,554 bus shelters. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 103,438,600, or about 364,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Maryland Route 384 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs 0.53 miles (0.85 km) from MD 390 east to U.S. Route 29 and MD 97 within Silver Spring. MD 384 is a six-lane divided highway that forms the southernmost portion of Colesville Road, a major commuting route and one of the two main streets, with Georgia Avenue, within downtown Silver Spring, the commercial hub of southeastern Montgomery County. The state highway also provides access to the Silver Spring station of the Washington Metro, which serves as a transit hub for commuter rail and bus service for the surrounding area. MD 384 and its railroad underpass were constructed in the late 1920s. The highway was expanded to a divided highway in the mid-1970s.
Washington, D.C. has a number of different modes of transportation available for use. Commuters have a major influence on travel patterns, with only 28% of people employed in Washington, D.C. commuting from within the city, whereas 33.5% commute from the nearby Maryland suburbs, 22.7% from Northern Virginia, and the rest from Washington, D.C.'s outlying suburbs.
QuickLink 40 is a limited stop bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. Formerly the Quickbus 40, the line was discontinued in June 2017 as part of the BaltimoreLink system rebranding along with the other "Quickbus" limited-stop routes. On August 27, 2023, QuickBus 40, was re-launched after it was discontinued in 2017.
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 Arundel Mills in Anne Arundel County, via BWI Airport. The line operates to University of Maryland during hours when the light rail is not operating.
The Maryland Transit Administration 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.
The Charm City 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 five routes on major streets throughout downtown. The system also connects to the city's water taxi and MTA Maryland.
Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland, locally referred to as the RTA, is a transit organization providing fixed-route and paratransit services across Central Maryland. The RTA is made up of multiple jurisdictions including Anne Arundel County, Howard County, the City of Laurel, Northern Prince George's County, and Baltimore County.
Kevin B. Quinn is the chief executive officer of TransLink. Prior to his current role, he was CEO and administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration from 2017 to 2021.
Flash BRT is a bus rapid transit network in Montgomery County, Maryland with one operational line and two more under development. When complete, the network will run along U.S. 29 from Silver Spring to Burtonsville, Maryland Route 355 from Bethesda to Clarksburg, and Maryland Route 586 from Wheaton to Rockville.
The New Carrollton–Fort Totten Line, designated Route F6, is a weekday-only bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between the New Carrollton station of the Orange Line station of the Washington Metro and the Fort Totten station of the Red and Green Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 30 minutes during peak hours and 60 minutes all other times, weekdays only. F6 trips are roughly 60 minutes. This route provides weekday service between Fort Totten and New Carrollton stations without having to take the train into Downtown DC.
The New Carrollton–Silver Spring Line, designated as Route F4, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between New Carrollton station of the Orange Line of the Washington Metro and Silver Spring station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 12 minutes between 7AM and 9PM, and 30-60 minutes after 9PM. F4 trips are roughly 62 minutes. The line mainly provides service on the East-West Highway corridor from the eastern portion of Prince George's County to Montgomery County.
The College Park–Bethesda Line, designated Route J4, was a rush hour-only MetroExtra bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between the College Park–University of Maryland station of the Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro and Bethesda station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The J4 operated throughout the neighborhoods in Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland. This line ran along current construction for the upcoming Purple Line between College Park and Bethesda.
The College Park–North Bethesda Line, designated Route C8, is a bus route that operates Monday to Saturday that is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, United States, between College Park–University of Maryland station of the Green Line and North Bethesda station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 30 minutes at all times. Trips are roughly 70–80 minutes long.
