LocalLink 38 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Parent | Maryland Transit Administration |
LocalLink 38 is a bus line managed by the Maryland Transit Administration within Baltimore, linking the neighborhoods of Westgate and Medfield. This route mainly caters to high school students commuting to Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and Western High School. Service was halted on April 6, 2020, as a result of school closures prompted by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. On September 30, 2020, the MTA confirmed that the suspension would persist for both LocalLink 38 and LocalLink 92, while other LocalLink routes continued operating.
In the fall of 2021, with the resumption of in-person classes at Baltimore City Schools, MTA reinstated LocalLink 38 with a limited weekday schedule specifically tailored for school-related trips. The service includes two morning departures from North Bend Loop—located near North Bend Road and Edmondson Avenue on Baltimore’s western edge—heading to Poly Western High near Cold Spring Lane and Falls Road in northern Baltimore, departing five minutes apart. After school hours, two return trips operate at the same five-minute spacing.
Performance
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, LocalLink 38 exhibited the lowest punctuality among routes serving Baltimore City Schools, achieving on-time rates of 40% in October 2019 and 45.2% in February 2020. The MTA considers a bus on time if it arrives between two minutes early and seven minutes late. Prior to the pandemic, this route tended to arrive early more often than late. However, during its initial week back in service (August 30 to September 3, 2021), punctuality was recorded at 47.2%, with buses arriving late more frequently than early.