LocalLink 67 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | 6 Curtis Bay streetcar line |
| Founded | 1977 |
Area served | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Parent | Maryland Transit Administration |
Route 64 was a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that connected Baltimore with its surrounding suburbs. Its path extended from North Avenue and St. Paul Street down to Curtis Bay, with certain runs continuing onward to Energy Parkway and Riviera Beach. Prominent neighborhoods served along the route included Federal Hill, Port Covington, and Brooklyn.
This service replaced the former 6 Curtis Bay streetcar line, maintaining its presence within Baltimore’s public transportation system.
History
The inception of Route 64 occurred in 1977 following the division of the original Route 6 into multiple separate lines. The corridor itself has a rich history tied to streetcar operations.
The No. 6 Curtis Bay Streetcar began service in 1892 and was extended eastward to Patterson Park by 1929, later reaching Orangeville in 1935 after it incorporated a segment of the No. 4 Streetcar Line. In 1948, the Curtis Bay-East Monument Street line transitioned from streetcar to bus service.
In 1959, Bus Route 6 expanded by absorbing Bus Route 29, which operated between Roland Park and downtown (a corridor now served by Route 61). Route 6 maintained two downtown branches: one heading east via Monument Street and another running north toward Roland Park, a configuration that lasted for nearly two decades.
The reorganization in 1977 resulted in four distinct routes: a newly designated Route 61 connecting Roland Park and downtown; Route 62 operating between Monument Street and downtown (eventually merged into Route 35); Route 63 linking Riviera Beach with downtown; and Route 64, which ran from Curtis Bay to downtown while also serving industrial zones such as Maryland Drydock and Davison Chemical. Notably, Routes 63 and 64 shared considerable overlap within Baltimore’s urban area.
The earliest iteration of Route 63 originated as a bus line labeled Route X in 1946, was renamed Route 63 in 1948, and subsequently merged into Route 6 by 1951.
Routes 63 and 64 functioned independently until adjustments started in 1993. That year saw Route 63 rerouted to serve the Patapsco Light Rail Stop, later modified to connect with the North Linthicum Light Rail Stop, effectively replacing part of Route 64’s coverage. Due to insufficient ridership, the Davison Chemical branch of Route 64 was discontinued, although Route 63 continued to pass nearby.
By 1996, Routes 63 and 64 were consolidated, with some trips on Route 64 extended to reach Riviera Beach and Energy Parkway. While no substitute service was introduced for portions of Route 63 in Linthicum, much of that area remained accessible via nearby light rail stations. Since this merger, Route 64 has been the sole provider along this corridor.
In 2003, Route 64’s span was reduced to terminate at Curtis Bay. Service between Curtis Bay and Wagner's Point was reassigned to a new Route 65, which operated between the Patapsco Light Rail Stop and Wagner's Point due to temporary road closures. However, low patronage led to Route 65 being discontinued in 2005 as part of the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, leaving Wagner's Point without any bus connections. The route averaged only about twenty daily passengers, resulting in substantial subsidies per rider.
Also during 2005, GBBI proposed merging Route 64 with a section of Route 27 and extending service northward through Hampden up to Mt. Washington, while reducing Riviera Beach trips to terminate at Energy Parkway. These proposals were never implemented prior to GBBI’s cancellation in 2007.
A comparable plan introduced in 2008 recommended shortening Riviera Beach trips at Energy Parkway; nevertheless, the route continued providing nine daily trips to Riviera Beach.
References
- Herbert H. Harwood, Baltimore Streetcars: The Postwar Years, JHU Press, 2003, pp. 10, 131–37