LocalLink 31 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Routes 32 Woodlawn, 33 West Arlington streetcar lines, and several bus routes |
| Founded | 1984-06-18 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore and surrounding suburbs |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
Route 57 is a bus line managed by the Maryland Transit Administration serving Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs. Its route extends from the Rogers Avenue Metro Subway Station in Northwest Baltimore to Security Square Mall, with select journeys continuing to the Social Security Administration headquarters located in Woodlawn. This service covers the Gwynn Oak Avenue corridor and passes through neighborhoods such as Howard Park, Gwynn Oak, and Windsor Mill.
This route is the successor to the former 32 Woodlawn and 33 West Arlington streetcar lines as well as several bus routes.
History
The inception of Route 57 dates back to June 18, 1984, when it was initially designated as Route R-3. Prior to this date, various bus and streetcar lines provided service along this corridor, most notably Route 28, which linked Liberty Heights Avenue through Downtown Baltimore to Cherry Hill. Route 28 maintained Sunday operations until 2001, at which point Route M-6 assumed Sunday service responsibilities. Since its establishment in 1984, the route has undergone minor adjustments in both routing and scheduling. It was renamed from R-3 to M-6 in 1987 and later from M-6 to 57 in 2009. A planned discontinuation in 2005 was ultimately reversed following public opposition.
Origin
Streetcar operations along the Gwynn Oak corridor commenced in 1924 with the introduction of the No. 33 Streetcar line, a branch off the No. 5 Streetcar line. In 1930, this streetcar service was temporarily replaced by bus route no. 20 but resumed streetcar service later that same year. The No. 33 streetcar ceased operation when the No. 5 line ended in 1948; however, Gwynn Oak continued to be served by branches of the No. 32 Streetcar, which transitioned into Bus Route 32 in 1955 and subsequently became part of Bus Routes 28 and 37 by 1959.
From 1947 onward, Routes 28 and 37 operated along Liberty Heights Avenue—Route 28 running bidirectionally while Route 37 was designated for buses terminating at Cherry Hill, reflecting racial segregation practices prevalent at that time. This separation ended in 1974 when all services were consolidated under Route 28. The former Route 37 was merged into Route 28, which then provided continuous service to Gwynn Oak until 1984, extending its reach to Social Security and Security Square Mall as development progressed in Woodlawn.
Until Metro Subway hours began in 2001, Route 28 operated during off-hours with three branches servicing Randallstown, Security Boulevard, and Belvedere/Belvieu areas—later covered by Route M-6 during those times. In 1996, Route 28 shifted to Sunday-only operation; while the Belvedere/Belvieu branch was discontinued, other branches saw increased frequency. Remaining sections were absorbed by other routes. Complete discontinuation of Route 28 occurred in September 2001 after Metro connection services were introduced on Sundays.
Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative
In October 2005, MTA discontinued Route M-6 and extended all trips on Route 44 to Security Square Mall or Social Security to compensate for the loss of service. According to MTA materials, "service on Route M-6 was to be provided by Route 44," though many riders and local advocates disagreed.
Criticism regarding this change included:
- Route 44’s alignment differed significantly by bypassing several Howard Park residential streets where many senior citizens reside, forcing longer walks for these passengers.
- The extended length of Route 44—approximately one hour to reach Rogers Avenue Metro Station—resulted in decreased reliability for connections to the Security area.
- Compared with M-6, Route 44 offered fewer trips during evenings and weekends, causing overcrowding issues.
Despite these concerns, MTA initially declined to reinstate Route M-6, maintaining that Route 44 adequately served most riders with only a small portion negatively impacted.
Following persistent community advocacy, MTA reinstated eight weekday round trips on Route M-6 in March 2006 as a partial measure. These hourly peak-time trips did not meet advocates’ expectations who continued calling for full restoration.
Exactly fifty weeks after its elimination—in October 2006—Route M-6 resumed full seven-day service amid local officials’ re-election efforts. Although this restoration did not guarantee electoral success, it returned comprehensive operation to the line.
On August 30 of that year, Route M-6 was redesignated as Route 57 as part of MTA’s initiative to convert all M-line routes into two-digit numbers.