Towson Circulator Moves Forward: Buses Ordered, Routes Proposed

TOWSON, MD — A free bus service is expected to be up and running in Towson by fall 2021. Two virtual meetings are slated for early November where residents can weigh in on the proposed routes for the Towson Circulator.

Since the free bus service concept was initially introduced under the previous administration, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said the project had languished.

To reflect the current growth in Towson since 2015 when a previous study was done of the area, Olszewski said officials updated a study that had been done years ago.

"That revised study is now complete," Olszewski said at an Oct. 28 news conference to announce the Towson Circulator developments.

"This year despite facing a difficult situation," Olszewski said, county officials made the project a priority. "We've been laying the groundwork."

In 2021, he said Baltimore County would receive 12 ADA-accessible vehicles for the fleet.

He described the Towson Circulator as a "blueprint for similar services in other corridors around Baltimore County. "This is just the first step," he said, for creating a "robust system" of local transit.

When And Where Bus Will Be In Towson

The Towson Circulator would operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays then from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, with no Sunday service. Proposed hours may be adjusted, officials said.

Two routes would be available: one East-West hitting Goucher College and St. Joseph, Sheppard Pratt and GBMC.

A second would go to retail destinations like the Shops at Kenilworth back to St. Joseph's, Sheppard Pratt and GBMC.

"Both these routes will complement existing MTA services and will provide more frequent stops," said D'Andrea Lancelin Walker, Baltimore County's deputy director of transportation.

Baltimore County officials came up with the two route concept maps basedon research, market analysis and guidance from authorities. They may be tweaked as a result of community input and planning.

Officials forecast ridership of 200,000 to 300,000 annually, which will help keep cars off the roads and connect residents to key anchors.

Councilman David Marks, who said in 2010 when he first ran for County Council he campaigned on the idea of the circulator to bring mobility to the area, thanked the Towson community associations, county executive and the Towson chamber for working on the effort.

The "Towson Circulator is close to becoming a reality," Marks said. "In many places Towson would be considered a small city," he said, where it would have transit.

The free bus service will allow people to circumvent parking in Towson, help older people to get around and students to more easily get to work and other places, Marks said.

Public Input Meetings Scheduled

The next step is to hear from residents and future riders.

Two public input meetings are planned to gather feedback on the proposed routes.

• 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
• 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12

Both meetings will be held virtually.