The release of BMORE BUS in summer 2025 follows the release of the Capital Transportation Program (CTP), Maryland's transportation budget for the next six years (FY 25 to FY 30). Budget allotted to MTA in the near-term will focus on addressing deferred maintenance, repair, and replacement needs so that MTA service continues to operate safely and efficiently. While MTA strengthens the transit system’s foundation, it’s still critical to plan for a time when additional capital investment is available for construction of a new, fifth bus division facility. BMORE BUS articulates a vision for the effective use of future resources, to ready us to deliver the maximum benefit to Maryland and its residents, workers, and visitors.

Good public transit means better access to opportunity for those who live and work in the Baltimore region. And when more people have better access to opportunity, the economy grows stronger. More than 80 percent of MTA core bus riders come from households without a personal vehicle available. Riders depend on MTA transit, especially the bus, to provide service and/or connections to nearly 800,000 jobs, and over 200 employment centers, 220 schools and universities, 180 grocery stores, and 25 hospitals in the Central Maryland region. Reliable access to employment, retail, and other destinations is not only important for quality of life, but it’s also important for the region, as almost 90 percent of trips on public transit directly impact the local economy. In fact, every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in long-term economic returns to the region. And for every $1 billion invested in public transportation, nearly 50,000 jobs are created or sustained across the entire economy. Investing in affordable, accessible bus service improvements like those recommended in BMORE BUS can help reduce race and income disparities.

MTA implements changes to bus routes—both where the routes go and how frequently they come—each fall via the annual service plan process. These regular service updates ensure that MTA is responsive to the latest travel patterns and needs of riders. However, with the annual service plan process following a one-year planning and implementation cycle, there’s little room for service planning beyond reacting to current trends.

BMORE BUS addresses this gap by envisioning a future with more resources—such as additional buses, facility space, staff, and funding— and presenting strategic improvements that would enhance reliability and transform bus service in the Baltimore region. This plan’s recommendations position MTA to plan proactively for growth, while helping guide annual service changes.

BMORE BUS is a vision plan, not a network redesign. The plan is based on the current network, rather than imagining a new bus network from scratch.

The BMORE BUS plan considers all services in MTA’s core bus network:

These modes are not the focus of the BMORE BUS plan (although adjustments to the schedules of these modes may be considered, depending on the bus system recommendations). MTA is separately pursuing improvements to Light Rail and Metro Subway, including new railcars, station wayfinding, and a range of reliability enhancements.

BMORE BUS will focus on MTA’s core bus service area—which includes service on CityLink Bus, QuickLink Bus, LocalLink Bus, and Express BusLink—as well as connections to the broader Central Maryland region as we consider potential service improvements. The BMORE BUS plan will not make recommendations for other, non-MTA locally operated transit systems, although connections to these other local transit systems may be considered. Click here to learn more about MTA’s Office of Local Transit Support (OLTS) and other transit systems across Maryland.