CityLink Green (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Public transit bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route 3 bus, Route T bus, 17 St. Paul Street streetcar route |
| Founded | 1947 |
Area served | Baltimore, Maryland suburbs |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
| Website | mta |
CityLink Green (GR) is a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that connects Baltimore with its surrounding suburbs. The line operates between the Inner Harbor and the Cromwell Bridge Road Park and Ride facility located in Baynesville, close to exit 29 on the Baltimore Beltway. Its path includes major thoroughfares such as Loch Raven Boulevard and St. Paul Street. Certain services extend beyond to Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Towson, primarily traveling via Joppa Road, with some trips turning early at Loch Raven and Taylor.
This route is the successor to several earlier transit lines: the 17 St. Paul Street streetcar route (operational from 1893 to 1938), followed by the Route T bus (1939–1947), and later the Route 3 bus until its discontinuation in 2017.
History
During Baltimore’s streetcar era, Route 17 served along St. Paul Street. At that time, Loch Raven Boulevard was largely undeveloped; bus service commenced there in 1940 with Route T, which ran along Loch Raven and 33rd Street reaching into Northwood.
The designation no. 3 was assigned to this corridor starting in 1947. Before this, no. 3 identified a streetcar line running on Linden Avenue extending to Halethorpe via the Wilkens Avenue corridor. Eventually, the Linden Avenue segment became incorporated into Route 5, while bus Route 3 continued service to Halethorpe.
The present-day no. 3 route connecting Baynesville and downtown Baltimore originated in 1956 when it absorbed Route 45, which had operated between Waverly and Baynesville since 1949. In 1959, it merged with the Halethorpe Streetcar Line—known as Route 12 during its last phase—and extended service to Halethorpe along Wilkens Avenue, including stops at St. Agnes Hospital and UMBC. This arrangement persisted until 1987 when the route was divided; Wilkens Avenue service transitioned to the newly created Route 31, currently served by Route 35.
Even prior to extensive development along Loch Raven Boulevard in Baltimore County, Route 3 maintained a strong ridership base.
In 1990, Route 3 added a branch reaching into Towson and serving Sheppard Pratt, primarily via Joppa Road, taking over from a branch of Route 8 that had served Eudowood.
Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative
As part of the 2005 Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, MTA initially proposed removing the Sheppard Pratt branch along with most of the route’s short turns, encouraging passengers to transfer to an enhanced-frequency service on Route 55. Following community feedback opposing these changes, the plan was modified in 2006 to maintain and reroute the Sheppard Pratt branch to cover Osler Drive, adding weekend service as well. These adjustments took effect on February 17, 2008.
BaltimoreLink
On June 18, 2017, Route 3 was discontinued and replaced by several routes under the BaltimoreLink system: City Link Silver now operates along Charles Street, St. Paul Street, and 33rd Street; City Link Green serves Loch Raven Boulevard; while LocalLink 53 covers Joppa Road, York Road, and Osler Drive in Towson.
In popular culture
- In William Gildea's When the Colts Belonged to Baltimore, the number 3 bus is highlighted as the preferred route for accessing Memorial Stadium.
- Similarly, in DeWayne Wickham's Woodholme, the narrator relies on the number 3 bus to travel to Memorial Stadium.
External links
- Route 3 Map and Schedule, valid from August 21, 2013