CityLink Lime (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route 52, No. 32 streetcar and bus service, Routes 28 and 37 |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore and neighboring suburban areas |
| Products | Bus service |
| Parent | Maryland Transit Administration |
CityLink Lime (abbreviated as LM) is a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that operates within Baltimore and its neighboring suburban areas. The route extends from Mondawmin Metro Subway Station along Liberty Heights Avenue and Liberty Road to a loop located in Milford Mill. Buses on this line are marked "Milford Mill," which should not be confused with the nearby Milford Mill Metro Subway Station, as this service does not include that station. The loop encompasses Liberty Road, Rolling Road, Church Lane, and Milford Mill Road, with layover points changing depending on the time of day.
Initially launched as Route M-1 in 1984, the line was rebranded as CityLink Lime on August 30, 2009, while maintaining its original routing.
History
The CityLink Lime route is the successor to several previous transit lines, including Route 52, the No. 32 streetcar and bus service, as well as the now-defunct Bus Routes 28 and 37.
Since 1947, Routes 28 and 37 have served the Liberty Heights corridor. Route 28 connected Liberty Heights Avenue with Cherry Hill, with all buses traveling from South Baltimore to Liberty Heights carrying the number 28. Trips originating at Liberty Heights heading to other destinations besides Cherry Hill were also numbered 28, whereas those terminating at Cherry Hill bore the number 37—a designation used until 1974 that reflected the racial composition of the destination area. Following that year, all services along this corridor adopted the number 28.
The inception of Route M-1 occurred in 1984, replacing Route 28 along the Liberty Heights corridor. The no. 32 streetcar operated here from 1920 until its conversion to bus service in 1955; this bus service was later absorbed into Route 28 in 1959.
In 1988, Route M-1 was combined with Route M-13, extending certain trips along Milford Mill Road to Milford Mill Station and further to Bellemore Farms in Pikesville. This configuration remained mostly intact for around fifteen years, with Sunday operations introduced in 2001. Buses alternated their destination signs between "Milford Mill" and "Milford Mill Station," requiring passengers to pay attention to their specific stop.
Under the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative of 2005, Route M-1 reverted to its original pre-1988 alignment, while service along Milford Mill Road was reassigned to a modified Route M-8 (which has since become part of Route 54). The extension to Bellemore Farms was discontinued at this time.
On August 30, 2009, Route M-1 was redesignated as Route 52, marking the completion of converting all M-lines into two-digit route numbers.
In June 2011, the frequency of Sunday service was enhanced to run every twenty minutes.
In popular culture
Within the novel Passing by Patricia Jones and Patricia J Bacchus, the narrator recounts boarding a bus on Liberty Heights Avenue heading toward Hilton Street, noting a scenic view of water near the intersection adjacent to Lake Ashburton.