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.

With the BMORE BUS short-range transit plan, MTA is taking a proactive and comprehensive look at what bus service improvements should be prioritized over the next five to ten years of annual service planning. BMORE BUS will also identify the operational and capital resources needed for each recommended improvement; this will help stakeholders understand the levels of investment required for different types of service improvements.

BMORE BUS is a short-range transit plan, not a network redesign. Rather than creating a new bus network from scratch like a network redesign would, BMORE BUS uses the current network as a starting point for improvement recommendations over the next five to ten years.

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 connections to these modes may be considered). 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.