
Note from the Editor: The Towson Loop has undergone a change in its Purple Loop. We are currently waiting to hear back from Baltimore County as to where the new origin of this line is. As of now, please use the Loop’s website for the most updated information surrounding the Purple Loop. (https://baltcoloop.com)
When I made my decision to come to Goucher College, one of the most common responses I got was “Without a car? Really?” To others, it seemed impossible that I could move to a suburb in Maryland and be able to get anywhere off-campus without a car. As a born-and-raised New Yorker who grew up riding the Subway to school, their implication scared me. I had no interest in learning how to drive, nor becoming dependent on rideshares to go anywhere.
It was because of this that I set myself a challenge to prove them wrong. Public transit has always been my preferred method of travel – it’s cheaper and better for the environment than owning a car, and it gets you walking places. I’ve learned first-hand that it’s not always perfect, but I was determined to prove that even in Towson, Maryland, you can just use public transit.
Because for all that Goucher’s campus is beautiful, it is also small. Sometimes you just need to get out for a day, and Towson just so happens to have nine bus routes across two operators. Whether you want to spend a day around town, head down to Baltimore City, or just run some errands, you have plenty of options to do so – if you know what they are. So, consider this your guide to public transit in Towson!
Before You Go
While it may be tempting to rock up to the bus stop with directions and money and hope for the best, you’d be doing yourself a disservice. For one, most navigation apps aren’t very good at giving transit directions – the Towson Loop doesn’t even exist on Google Maps – and for another, BaltimoreLink buses only accept fares purchased before boarding. Given this, there are three critical-but-simple apps you’ll need to install on your phone ahead of time.
The first app you’ll need to install is CharmPass. This is the Maryland Transit Administration’s official mobile ticketing app, and works across all of their buses and trains. A key feature of the app is that one-way tickets are valid for 90 minutes after being activated, giving you free transfers between all BaltimoreLink routes as well as the Light RailLink and Metro SubwayLink during that period. All MTA fare types are available for purchase on the app; as a reminder, the single-ride fare for BaltimoreLink is just $2. Click here to download it.
The second app you’ll need to install is the Transit app. This provides real-time updates on the locations of all MTA buses and trains, as well as step-by-step “GO” directions to and from any location. While this app is not developed by the MTA, they recently struck a deal with its developers to provide free access to the app’s “Royale” subscription, which provides extra information and customizations. As an existing user of the Transit app, which works in various cities across the globe, I cannot overstate how helpful it is! If you already have it installed, Royale will activate the next time you open it; otherwise, click here to download it.
The third and final app you’ll need to install is Passio GO!. While the Transit app is great, it currently does not show real-time departures for Towson Loop buses, only scheduled ones, which can be very different. Hopefully this will be fixed in the future, but for now, click here to download Passio GO! and view Towson Loop bus locations in real-time.
BaltCo Towson Loop
Let’s start with Towson’s local bus system, the Loop. Operated by the Baltimore County Government and currently celebrating its third birthday, this system is the first of its kind and connects various places throughout Towson’s central business district. Each Loop bus is equipped with spaces for bikes and wheelchairs, but most importantly, they are always free to ride! There are currently two Loop routes as detailed below.
Source: https://baltcoloop.com/about/
Orange Loop
Route: The Shops at Kenilworth to SECU
Hours: 6am–midnight weekdays, 10am–midnight Saturdays
Service: Frequent
The first route is the Orange Loop, which runs west from The Shops at Kenilworth east to SECU. For us Gophers, this is perhaps the more useful route: it stops at the CVS and Safeway on York Road, the Extra Space Storage building on Joppa Road, and the Towson Place shopping mall where Target is. These buses run frequently from 6am to midnight on weekdays and from 10am to midnight on Saturdays, and you can board one next to the Macy’s on Dulaney Valley Road.
Purple Loop
Route: Towson Town Center to Sheppard Pratt Hospital
Hours: 6am–midnight weekdays, 10am–midnight Saturdays
Service: Frequent
The second route is the Purple Loop, which runs north from the Towson Town Center mall south to Sheppard Pratt Hospital. While it may not be as good for shopping as the Orange Loop, it does stop at Fairmount Place, Towson Commons, the Towson Public Library, and Towson University – so if you have any friends there, here’s an excuse to go and visit them! These buses run with the same frequency and hours as the others, and you can board them next to the mall parking lot at Fairmont Avenue & Towson Gate Drive.
Sources: https://baltcoloop.com/where-we-go/, https://baltcoloop.com/how-to-ride/
MTA BaltimoreLink
The main operator of public transit around Baltimore is the Maryland Transit Administration, a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation. Its flagship service is the BaltimoreLink system launched in 2017, which includes seven “CityLink” and “LocalLink” bus routes serving Towson. The single-ride fare for BaltimoreLink is $2; click here for more information about fares, including day passes and special fare programs.
Source: https://www.mta.maryland.gov/baltimorelink-basics
CityLink Green
Route: Towson to Inner Harbor
Hours: All times weekdays, 5am–3am weekends
Service: Frequent
The CityLink Green route (signed as GR) operates frequent service from Towson to the Inner Harbor. It runs at all times on weekdays and from 5am to 3am on weekends. This route stops at Towson Place and Penn Station, so you won’t have to hitch a ride for your next Target run or Amtrak trip. Other locations served by this route include Mount Pleasant Woods Park, Good Samaritan Hospital, the Washington Monument, and the Baltimore Convention Center! CityLink Green buses leave from the Towson Town Center at Fairmount Avenue & Towson Gate Drive. Stops, Schedules & Maps
CityLink Red
Route: Lutherville or Towson to UM Medical Center*
Hours: 4am–3am Monday–Saturday, 4am–3:30am Sunday
Service: Frequent to/from Towson, Regular to/from Lutherville
The CityLink Red route (signed as RD) operates frequent service from Towson to the UM Medical Center, as well as regular service to/from Lutherville. It runs from 4am to 3am Monday through Saturday, and from 4am to 3:30am on Sundays. The main route stops at the Towson Public Library and Towson University before continuing onto Anneslie Shopping Center, Belvedere Square Market, Kernewood Wilson Park, City Hall, and the Baltimore Arena! The branch to Lutherville also stops at the CVS and Safeway on York Road before connecting with the Light RailLink. CityLink Red buses to the UM Medical Center leave from the Towson Town Center, while buses to Lutherville leave from Fairmount Avenue & Dulaney Valley Road. Stops, Schedules & Maps
* Some trips end at Greenmount North. Listen for announcements and watch the displays.
LocalLink 36
Route: Towson to Essex
Hours: 5am–12:30am weekdays, 5:30am–12:30am Saturdays, 6:30am–10:30pm Sundays
Service: Regular
The LocalLink 36 operates between Towson and Essex, from 5am to 12:30am on weekdays, 5:30am to 12:30am on Saturdays, and 6:30am to 10:30pm on Sundays. Along the route you can get off at Towson Place, Hillendale, Overlea, Fullerton Park, Rosedale, the Golden Ring Shopping Center, Franklin Square Hospital, or Riverwood Park. LocalLink 36 buses leave from the Towson Town Center. Stops, Schedules & Maps
LocalLink 51
Route: Towson to Inner Harbor
Hours: 5am–12:30am weekdays, 5:30am–1am Saturdays, 5:30am–midnight Sundays
Service: Regular
The LocalLink 51 operates between Towson and the Inner Harbor, from 5am to 12:30am on weekdays, 5:30am to 1am on Saturdays, and 5:30am to midnight on Sundays. It is a companion route to the CityLink Green, operating between the same termini and making the same stops south of Penn Station, but taking a different route via Bellona Avenue and Charles Street. By doing so it stops at Towson and Johns Hopkins Universities and the Baltimore Museum of Art, and even runs through Old Goucher! LocalLink 51 buses leave from the Towson Town Center. Stops, Schedules & Maps
LocalLink 52
Route: Stella Maris to Greenmount North
Hours: 5:30–11am & 2–11:30pm weekdays, 6:30–11am & 2pm–midnight weekends
Service: Limited
The LocalLink 52, running from Stella Maris to Greenmount North, is one of the few limited-service LocalLink routes in the system. On weekdays, it operates from 5:30 to 11:00 in the morning and 2:00 to 11:30 in the evening; on weekends, it operates from 6:30 to 11:00 and 2:00 to midnight. Like the CityLink Red, it provides service to the Towson Public Library, Towson University, Anneslie Shopping Center, Belvedere Square Market, and Kernewood Wilson Park. LocalLink 52 buses leave from Dulaney Valley Road & Southerly Road. Stops, Schedules & Maps
LocalLink 53
Route: Sheppard Pratt Hospital or Cromwell Bridge to State Center
Hours: 4am–1:30am weekdays, 4am–2:30am weekends
Service: Regular
The LocalLink 53 operates between Sheppard Pratt Hospital or Cromwell Bridge and the State Center, from 4am to 1:30am on weekdays and 4am to 2:30am on weekends. Key intermediate locations include SECU Arena, Towson University, Towson Place, Loch Raven Plaza, Kenilworth Park, and Baltimore City College. LocalLink 53 buses leave from York Avenue & Chesapeake Avenue – however, because this stop is quite far from campus, you’re better off transferring to this route from another one. Stops, Schedules & Maps
LocalLink 93
Route: Hunt Valley to Towson
Hours: 4am–1:30am weekdays, 6am–1:30am Saturdays, 6am–12:30am Sundays
Service: Regular
Rounding off our list, the LocalLink 93 operates between Hunt Valley and Towson from 4am to 1:30am on weekdays, 6am to 1:30am on Saturdays, and 6am to 12:30am on Sundays. For the majority of its route, this shuttle bus supplements the Light RailLink, connecting with it at stations such as McCormick Road, Warren Road, and the Maryland State Fairgrounds; south of Lutherville station, it supplements the CityLink Red’s ‘branch’ service through Towson, CVS/Safeway stop included. LocalLink 93 buses leave from the Towson Town Center. Stops, Schedules & Maps
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And there you have it, folks! A comprehensive guide to public transit in Towson. I can’t guarantee that your experience using it will be as good as mine, but if I’ve done my job correctly, this article will have equipped you with the right tools to give it a try. I hope to catch some of y’all on the bus sooner or later, because it really does benefit us all – even if you’re just going to buy toilet paper.
By Milo Silverman, ’27
I’ve been trying to get people to use the bus for all four years of my time at Goucher! I hope that more people hear the good news thanks to this article. Good on you for using the Q!