LocalLink 37 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore suburban areas |
| Products | Bus transit service |
| Parent | Maryland Transit Administration |
Route 77 is a bus service managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that operates within Baltimore's suburban areas. Its route extends from the Old Court Metro Subway Station located in Pikesville, Maryland to the Patapsco Light Rail Stop, passing through significant communities such as Randallstown, Windsor Mill, Woodlawn, Catonsville, Arbutus, Halethorpe, and Lansdowne. Additionally, this line serves important educational centers including UMBC and CCBC Catonsville.
History
Introduced in 1974, Route 77 was among the earliest cross-county bus lines in Baltimore County, linking the commercial district of Pikesville with UMBC. Prior to its establishment, bus coverage along much of this corridor was minimal, limited mainly to a short-lived 1966 shuttle service (Route 35) running between UMBC and Catonsville Community College. Nearby locales were served by other routes such as Route 20 and a branch of Route 44, which provided access to areas like Rutherford Business Park until 2005.
At its inception, Route 77 operated exclusively on weekdays with peak-hour buses scheduled every 40 minutes and midday trips every 50 minutes. These times were coordinated with class schedules at UMBC and Catonsville Community College. Early morning services did not commence before 6:30 AM from Pikesville or before 7:30 AM from UMBC. Over time, the route attracted a broader ridership beyond just students, proving the demand for suburb-to-suburb transit options in the Baltimore region.
The opening of Old Court Metro Subway Station in 1987 resulted in Route 77’s northern endpoint being relocated there, aligning with the extension of Route M-2. Some buses continued serving Pikesville during Old Court’s nighttime closures until that portion was discontinued in 2005.
By 1995, certain trips were extended southward from UMBC to the Patapsco Light Rail Stop via Halethorpe, which improved overall connectivity and slightly increased service frequency. Weekend service expanded with Saturday operations starting in 1997 between Old Court and Security Square Mall, later reaching UMBC; Sunday service was added in 2001.
In 2005, under the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, all trips were lengthened to terminate at Patapsco Light Rail Stop. The route was also realigned to substitute a segment previously covered by Route 31 following its consolidation. These changes included enhancements in midday and Saturday service frequencies to intervals of every 30 minutes.