LocalLink 87 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route M-9, Route M-16, Route 56 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore suburbs, Maryland |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
LocalLink 87 is a bus service managed by the Maryland Transit Administration, catering to suburban areas around Baltimore. The route extends from Owings Mills Town Center to Glyndon, traveling along Reisterstown Road and stopping at the Owings Mills Metro Subway Station. This line developed from the last iteration of the discontinued Route M-9 and closely mirrors the former Route M-16 that operated between 1987 and 1998. Prior to the BaltimoreLink initiative, this service was known as Route 56, which has since been entirely replaced by Route 87.
History
Before being renamed under BaltimoreLink, Route 87 was identified as Route 56 starting February 17, 2008. Nonetheless, the corridor it serves has a longstanding history with various transit lines operating in the area.
The number 56 was originally assigned to a bus route running from Murray Hill (close to Rodgers Forge) to Bedford Square (near Charles Village) between 1948 and 1953. This route was eventually incorporated into what is now Route 11, the main bus line along the Charles Street corridor.
1916 to 1932
Reisterstown Road transit was initially served by the No. 5 Streetcar Line, which connected Emory Grove to Patterson Park, covering all segments of Reisterstown Road within Baltimore County. This streetcar held the distinction of having the northernmost endpoint among Baltimore’s streetcar lines. During this period, the area along the corridor was less developed compared to modern times.
1932 to 1948
In 1932, the No. 5 streetcar’s route was truncated to terminate at Pikesville. The section between Pikesville and Emory Grove was substituted with Bus Route M, which was unrelated to the later M-line designations.
1948 to 1959
By 1948, the No. 5 streetcar had been fully converted into bus operation, designated as the No. 5/7 line.
1959 to 1984
In 1959, this No. 5/7 line was divided into two separate routes. The No. 7 bus line covered Reisterstown Road stretching from Glyndon through Pennsylvania and North Avenues, then proceeded along Pennsylvania Avenue into downtown Baltimore and Canton, following its present alignment. Although shortened in 1984 to accommodate Metro feeder buses, Route 7 continued providing hourly Sunday service along its entire path until 2001, when Metro connection buses expanded operations to seven days a week with some running around the clock.
1984 to 1987
With the launch of the Baltimore Metro Subway on June 18, 1984, Route 7 and other northwest Baltimore bus lines were shortened and partially replaced by feeder buses linking passengers to Metro stations. A new Route P-1 was introduced, operating between Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station and Reisterstown during Metro service hours.
1987 to 1997
Following the extension of the Metro system to Owings Mills on August 31, 1987, all P-lines were replaced by M-lines. The segment of Route P-1 north of Painters Mill Road became Route M-16, serving as a feeder into Owings Mills Station. Meanwhile, the newly created M-9 line provided service along Reisterstown Road between Patterson Avenue and Painters Mill Road.
1997 to 2008
In 1997, Route M-16 was combined with Route M-9 and extended to Reisterstown, while certain trips continued to serve Chartley, which was then part of Route M-16. This integration provided direct, one-seat rides along Reisterstown Road in Baltimore County and enhanced midday and Saturday service for both Route M-16 and the Owings Mills Town Center area. Additionally, a new Route M-17 was introduced to offer peak period service to the Owings Mills Corporate Campus and Business Center. By 2001, Sunday service matching the Saturday schedule was implemented.
In 1999, the destination signs on Route M-9 were updated from "Reisterstown" to "Glyndon" to minimize confusion caused by buses traveling in opposite directions on Painters Mill Road and near Owings Mills Metro Station.
The Chartley branch was eliminated in 2000. Trips that had previously served Chartley briefly paused near a Food Lion supermarket in Reisterstown but were soon redirected to the Glyndon loop along Hanover Pike following complaints from local residents.
A 2007 proposal recommended dividing the line into Routes 56 and 59—resembling the pre-1997 M-9 and M-16 configuration but with increased frequency—to enhance on-time performance. This adjustment was implemented on February 17, 2008. At the same time, all trips via Dolfield Road were discontinued; currently, all Route 56 services run along Painter Mill Road to Reisterstown Road.