Students can get a free ride from the campus to Baltimore on a bus route that is open to them this spring for the first time, but the service likely will not continue on weekends after this semester.
The Residence Hall Association passed a bill in November to approve allowing students to ride buses that were already being driven to Baltimore every day as part of a contract with the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The buses service UMB’s routes for the day and then return to College Park.
“So many students want to get to Baltimore,” said Margaret Doyle, the RHA Transportation Advisory Committee’s chairwoman. “They want to go to Orioles games or the Inner Harbor, concerts or visit friends or family. We figured since the bus was already running, we might as well put students on it and make everyone happy.”
Funded by UMB, the bus picks up in Lot 4J, near the Comcast Center, at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and arrives at UMB’s Pearl Street Garage, about 20 minutes walking from the Inner Harbor, at about 4:50 p.m. The bus departs from the garage at 12:10 a.m.
The bus also runs on weekdays, picking up in Lot 4J at 5:15 a.m. and departing the Pearl Street garage at 11:50 p.m. to return to this campus.
Several students said they were not aware of the new bus route, and DOTS Director David Allen said only one student has used the service so far this semester. Allen said DOTS did not publicize the route because officials were uncertain about its longevity, as it is contingent upon UMB continuing its current contract.
“It’s very likely that the University of Maryland, Baltimore will discontinue its weekend bus services, so they wouldn’t need us to send buses on Saturdays and Sundays,” Allen said. “We know most students want to go to Baltimore on weekends, but if UMB ends its weekend bus services, we can’t offer the route to students anymore.”
Allen said DOTS has not made plans to replace the bus service to Baltimore if the current route is canceled.
The bus will continue running during the week, though the 5:15 a.m. pick up time is likely to deter students from using it, Doyle said.
Students who use the bus will arrive at the Pearl Street Garage on the UMB campus, where “there’s a Charm City Circulator bus stop within walking distance that can take you all around the city,” Allen said. The garage is also within walking distance of Camden Yards, Doyle said.
Although the weekend service may only be available for this semester, several students said they would be likely to use it this spring.
One student said he might take the bus and walk to Camden Yards to watch Saturday or Sunday night Orioles games.
“Once the baseball season starts, I’d like to go see our Orioles,” said Francis Becknell, a sophomore mechanical engineering major. “The timing of the bus might work out really nicely to go see a game.”
Another student who travels to Baltimore regularly on the weekends said she would like to take advantage of the opportunity to get to Baltimore without having to drive herself.
“I go down to Baltimore nearly every weekend to visit my boyfriend and all of his friends,” Emily Selsky, a senior communication major, said. “I would definitely consider taking the bus because sitting in traffic on [I-95] is never fun, and it would save me money on gas.”
Although the bus route will likely be discontinued after this semester, RHA’s public relations and outreach officer, Meenu Singh, said she hopes students will take advantage of the service that has been made available.
“Students who live in Baltimore can visit their families,” Singh said. “I’ve heard a lot of people say they want some way to get to Baltimore easily, so I want students to know this bus is an option.”
