LocalLink 92 (BaltimoreLink)
| Company type | Bus route |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
Area served | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Owner | Maryland Transit Administration |
| Website | mta |
LocalLink 92 is a bus route managed by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) in Baltimore, operating exclusively on school days. Its service area extends from the intersection of Glen Avenue and Key Avenue in Northwest Baltimore to either Smith Avenue and Copper Ridge Road in Mount Washington or to Old Court Road and Scotts Hill Drive in Pikesville.
This route mainly caters to students attending Bais Yaakov and the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. Bais Yaakov maintains two campuses—one located on Park Heights Avenue in Owings Mills, and another situated on Smith Avenue within Copper Ridge. The Talmudical Academy’s campus is positioned on Old Court Road at Scotts Hills, close to the Metro Station and the beltway overpass.
History
The service identified as no. 18 was introduced in 2010 coinciding with the 2010-11 academic year, although MTA had a longstanding practice of providing transportation for students from Bais Yaakov and Talmudical Academy.
In the late 1980s, supplemental bus service commenced for Bais Yaakov School for Girls in Owings Mills, operating during school hours only. Weekday runs were labeled as M-3, while Sunday trips carried the designation 5, with no operations on Saturdays. Morning routes heading toward Bais Yaakov displayed "Velvet Ridge," whereas afternoon return trips showed "Fallstaff Road" or "Northern Parkway." The routes included stops along Park Heights Avenue, Northern Parkway, Pimlico Road, Greenspring Avenue, Cross Country Boulevard, Taney Road, Willowglen Drive, Fallstaff Road, Clarks Lane, and Sanzo Road.
Following the establishment of a second Bais Yaakov campus on Smith Avenue in Mt. Washington during the mid-1990s, reverse-direction bus services were introduced to serve this new location.
Throughout the 2000s, MTA began serving Talmudical Academy students under the M-10 designation along a path resembling today’s no. 18 route. For enhanced safety measures, buses dropped off students on Scotts Level Road instead of directly on Old Court Road.
The number 18 has historical significance within Baltimore’s transit system. Initially assigned to a streetcar line running along Pennsylvania Avenue to Canton from 1894 until 1952, it was later converted into a bus route before merging with Route 53 to form Route 7. Between 1973 and 1992, the no. 18 label was used for an express bus connecting Cockeysville, Timonium, and Hereford with Downtown Baltimore; this service was subsequently replaced by a shuttle running between Timonium station and Hunt Valley Mall until its absorption by Route 9 in 1993.
From 1993 through 1996, no. 18 denoted a shuttle operating between the Cromwell light rail station and Old Mill before being discontinued.
In 2017, as part of the BaltimoreLink transit system restructuring, Route 92 completely took over the functions of Route 18.
Controversies
Several challenges have been associated with student transportation services. Early routes for Bais Yaakov female students encountered reports involving potential child predators near bus stops; however, no incidents of harm were recorded. Concerns about girls walking in poorly lit areas led to increased patrols by police officers and community volunteers to enhance safety.
Regarding Talmudical Academy pupils, issues arose concerning boys and girls waiting together at bus stops. Although such proximity was not forbidden by religious law, local rabbinical leaders preferred gender separation at stops. This preference resulted in staggered bus schedules that could be spaced up to an hour apart for each gender group.