Route 13 (Baltimore)
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Route 13 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It currently runs from Walbrook Junction in West Baltimore (the intersection of North Avenue, Hilton Street, and Bloomingdale Road) to Canton, mostly along North Avenue. Selected trips on weekdays and Saturdays operate to the block of Milton Street, Federal Street, and Patterson Park Avenue. The line has two branches to Canton: one that operates via Fells Point (these buses are marked Fells Point) and the other via Linwood and East Streets (these buses are marked Canton). The bus route is the successor to the North Avenue and Washington Street (or Wolfe Street) streetcar lines.
Route 13 has the highest farebox recovery rate of all MTA bus lines, recovering nearly its entire cost. The line has more daily runs than any other MTA service, and it serves some important points of interest, including Coppin State College, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and multiple rail stations.
[edit] History
Route 13 was in electrified, covering most of the present route in the process. In 1954, the line was converted to a rubber tire bus operation.
Buses on Route 13 also had various extended runs until 2005. Selected trips during peak hours operated west of Walbrook Junction to the Social Security Administration headquarters in Woodlawn via the same route as Route 15. Other trips operated to Canton Industrial Park.
[edit] Overhaul and criticism
In 2005, as part of the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative (GBBI), MTA announced that the following changes would be made to Route 13:
- All trips to both Fells Point and Canton would operate along Patterson Park Avenue between North Avenue and Monument Street, rather than Washington/Wolfe Streets (on which Fells Point trips operated) and Milton Street (route of the Canton trips). This would provide simplified service and allow riders on both branches to reach Johns Hopkins Hospital.
- The frequency of service would be improved. Midday and Saturday service would operate every 10 minutes instead 15, and Sunday service every 15 minutes instead of 20.
- Branches on the line to Social Security and Lower Canton would be eliminated. Riders would be directed to use other buses to reach Social Security, and there would be no service to Lower Canton.
All these plans were implemented on October 23, 2005.
Even before these plans were finalized, they drew a lot of controversy. Of particular concern were the changes in the route between North Avenue and Monument Street, and the removal of buses from Washington/Wolfe Streets and Milton Street. This required elderly residents of these communities to walk up to six blocks extra in order to reach the line.
After the implementation of these changes, a large uproar among riders was held. Riders demanded that Route 13 return to its old route immediately, and local media picked up on the story.
On February 5, 2006, MTA implemented new changes to Route 13, partially returning buses to their old route. All trips to Canton and Fells Point now operate via Washington/Wolfe Streets rather than Patterson Park Avenue. A new branch on the line was formed, which operated along North Avenue, then looped via Milton Street, Federal Street, and Patterson Park Avenue. This branch, which operates every 30 minutes on weekdays from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, and has more limited Saturday service, meets the needs of senior citizens in these areas.
