University of Maryland, Baltimore County, bus system
UMBC Transit is the official bus system of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Along with the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), the UMBC community has public transit access to nearby areas such as Catonsville, Arbutus, Maryland, and Baltimore City.[1]
The system has several bus shuttle lines that are available to UMBC's students, faculty, and staff. All are free by showing of one's campus identification card.
Lines
The university's transit system has seven lines:[2]
History
In 1977, the university launched what is now known today as UMBC Transit as UMBC Shuttle. Originally a simple single-van service, the shuttle was operated by the Residential Life Office and staffed by part-time undergraduate students. The original route transported graduate students to what is now known as the Charlestown Retirement Community located off of Maiden Choice Lane in Catonsville.[4]
As the university continued to grow, the Commuting Students Association, elected to have a department established to specifically focus on developing services designed to address the transportation needs of commuting students at UMBC. As a result, the Office of Commuter Affairs was established. In addition to the regular shuttle service, a charter operation was established to provide fee-based trips off-campus in an effort to further support expansion and also to provide broader educational opportunities for the UMBC community. In the late 1980s, UMBC Shuttle became independent of the Office of Commuter Affairs, focusing specifically on transportation needs only and reporting to the University Center.[5]
As of 2004, the system has been rebranded as UMBC Transit. Recent developments include the addition of new routes and replacing existing bus stop shelters on campus with modern "green" solar powered units. Today, the fleet is composed of state-of-the-art transit buses. Recently, UMBC Transit launched Transit Tracker, a real-time, GPS driven application, providing riders with convenient up-to-the-minute access of current shuttle bus locations from any web accessible computer or mobile device.[6]
In August 2014, service has expanded to a new line that connect the campus to Downtown Baltimore.[7] This line (Downtown) also connects the campus to the Baltimore Metro Subway by way of Lexington Market Station. The Downtown Line connects to the Metro as well as MARC Train at Camden Station, and the Baltimore Light Rail by way of Convention Center Station.[8]
