Townson Loop, Baltimore County's first free public transit service, officially launched Oct. 12.
Long discussed as an innovative idea to reduce congestion in the Towson area and better help residents, students and visitors move around, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski jumpstarted plans to bring a free circulator to Towson’s core destinations and main attractions.
“I could not be more proud to finally bring this much-needed, long-promised, free transit service that will better connect our residents with the places they live, work, study and play,” Olszewski said. “Expanding access to easy, efficient, reliable transit is an essential element in our vision for a better Baltimore County. This is a major step in our efforts to build a stronger local transit system that will carry Baltimore County into the future.”
Service details
The Towson Loop will operate on two routes: the north-south Purple Loop route and the east-west Orange Loop.
These routes complement existing Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) service and better connect residents with surrounding major anchors, including Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Goucher College, Sheppard Pratt Health Systems, St. Joseph Medical Center and Towson University, as well as popular retail destinations such as The Shops at Kenilworth, Towson Town Center and Towson Place.
The Towson Loop will run every 15 to 20 minutes during the following hours of operation:
- Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to midnight.
- Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to midnight.
The Towson Loop service will be operated by Coach USA, a private ground passenger transportation company based in North America, through its subsidiary Dillon’s Bus Service.
Bus details
The Loop consists of a fleet of 12 circulator shuttle buses. Each bus is equipped with a bike rack and air conditioning, and can hold 25 passengers, with space provided for wheelchairs, bicycles and strollers.
Riders can follow @baltcoloop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for service updates and the latest information regarding the service. To track and view schedules, estimated bus arrivals and more, riders can download the Passiogo app or Transit app on Apple store or the Google Play store. For real-time, estimated arrival information, riders can text a Stop ID to 443-489-4524. Message and data rates may apply. Riders can find individual Stop IDs here.
Baltimore County notes it plans to explore potential expansions of the Loop service to other communities in Baltimore County.
