LocalLink 89 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Public transit bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Route 59, Route M-9 |
| Founded | February 17, 2008 (as Route 59) |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore and surrounding suburbs |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
| Website | mta |
LocalLink 89 is a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration that operates within Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs, primarily traveling along Reisterstown Road. The route connects the Reisterstown Plaza Metro Subway Station with the Owings Mills Town Center. This service replaced Route 59 as part of the BaltimoreLink system and originally branched off from Route M-9, closely mirroring the pre-1997 alignment of Route M-9. It continues the legacy of several former bus lines and streetcar routes.
History
Route 59 commenced service on February 17, 2008. Prior to this, the number 59 had not been assigned to buses operating along Reisterstown Road; it was formerly used exclusively for the Colgate Shuttle, a peak-hour transit service that ran from 1948 to 1952. Nonetheless, the corridor between Pikesville and Owings Mills on Reisterstown Road has been served by various bus and streetcar routes for many years.
1916 to 1932
From 1916 to 1932, transit along Reisterstown Road was provided by the No. 5 Streetcar Line, which connected Emory Grove to Patterson Park. This line fulfilled all public transportation requirements on Reisterstown Road during that era and marked the northern extremity of Baltimore’s streetcar network. At that time, Owings Mills remained largely undeveloped.
1932 to 1948
In 1932, the No. 5 streetcar route was truncated to terminate at Pikesville, with service between Pikesville and Emory Grove being replaced by Bus Route M (not related to the M-lines).
1948 to 1959
By 1948, the No. 5 streetcar was entirely replaced by bus operations and rebranded as the No. 5/7 line.
1959 to 1984
During this period, the No. 7 bus line operated along Reisterstown Road from Glyndon through Pennsylvania and North Avenues, then continued via Pennsylvania Avenue into downtown Baltimore and onward to Canton, following what is now its current routing. Although this route was shortened in 1984 with the introduction of Metro feeder buses, it maintained full operation until 2001 when Metro feeder services expanded to provide near-continuous seven-day coverage.
1984 to 1987
Following the launch of the Baltimore Metro, feeder bus routes were established. Among these, Route P-4 operated a path similar to today’s Route 59 but did not include service to Owings Mills Metro Station, which was not yet open. Additionally, Route P-1 overlapped portions of Reisterstown Road before continuing onward to Reisterstown.
1987 to 1997
From 1987 until 1997, Route M-9 ran along what is now Route 59’s corridor, primarily connecting Reisterstown Plaza with Owings Mills Metro Station; trips before 9 AM extended further to Owings Mills Town Center. After this time, a shuttle designated as Route M-17 covered transit between Owings Mills Metro Station and Town Center.
In June 1992, Route M-17 was eliminated, with all trips on Routes M-9 and M-16 extended to serve Owings Mills Town Center directly. Simultaneously, Route M-15, which overlapped sections of M-9 and other lines, was discontinued except for limited trips serving the Business Center at Owings Mills. To compensate, six daily trips on Route M-9 were extended there. Currently, this service is operated by Route M-17.
1997 to 2008
In 1997, Routes M-9 and M-16 were combined into a single service line that operated between Reisterstown Plaza Metro Subway Station and Reisterstown, with every trip routed through Owings Mills Town Center. Additionally, a new service, Route M-17, was launched to cover specific branch areas.
By 1999, buses traveling toward Reisterstown displayed Glyndon on their destination boards to distinguish them from those labeled Reisterstown Plaza Station, reducing passenger confusion.
Starting in September 2001, the majority of Metro connection routes, including Route M-9, expanded their schedules to offer seven-day service by matching their Sunday operations to those previously held on Saturdays.
2008 to 2017
On February 17, 2008, the M-9 route was divided into two separate routes: 59 and 56, which corresponded to the original Routes M-9 and M-16. This change was implemented to enhance reliability and maintain timeliness.
Route M-17 was eliminated on August 30, 2009; however, peak-period trips on Route 59 were extended along Red Run Boulevard reaching Red Land Court, effectively assuming the areas formerly served by M-17. These extended trips do not enter Owings Mills Mall parking but travel nearby via Red Run Boulevard.
2017 to present
With the introduction of BaltimoreLink, Route 59 was redesignated as Route 89 and its southern terminus was lengthened to end at Rogers Avenue station.