CityLink Yellow (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Public transit route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore and nearby suburbs |
| Parent | Maryland Transit Administration |
CityLink Yellow (YL) is a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that operates within Baltimore and its nearby suburbs. This line travels from the junction of York Road and Northern Parkway to Riverview, with certain trips terminating earlier at Washington Boulevard and Monroe Street. It covers important corridors such as The Alameda, Kirk Avenue, Guilford Avenue, and Washington Boulevard.
History
Since 1947, the northern segment of this route has carried the Route 36 number, making it one of Baltimore’s earliest bus lines without origins in a streetcar service. The only part previously served by a streetcar was along Guilford Avenue, where the No. 1 Streetcar operated from 1895 until 1947.
In 2008, the southern section became part of Route 36 when it incorporated the lower portion of Route 11, which had provided service along Washington Boulevard since 1959. Prior to that, this corridor was covered by the No. 27 streetcar between 1905 and 1938, later transitioning to an electric trolley bus until 1957, running concurrently with the No. 52 bus up to Harman Street. The routes Nos. 27 and 52 were combined into a single Route 27 before merging with Route 11 in 1959.
Merging Routes 11 and 36
Beginning in 1998, various proposals were introduced to divide Route 11 downtown, integrate its southern portion into Route 36, and maintain the northern section as an independent route.
The first proposal in 1998 suggested operating Route 36 between York Road/Northern Parkway and Riverview, while Route 11 would connect Rodgers Forge/GBMC/Goucher College to the Inner Harbor; however, this plan was eventually discarded.
As part of the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative in 2005, a plan recommended combining Route 36 with the southern segment of Route 11 and extending service along Washington Boulevard to Riverview, including short-turn trips at Monroe Street. Implementation was postponed due to public resistance.
The proposal reemerged in late 2007 with an additional routing modification in Lansdowne, Maryland to provide access to a newly opened Wal-Mart Supercenter. This adjustment took effect on February 17, 2008.