Free Downtown Shuttle Service Starts Monday
By John Patti -WBAL
Baltimore City is introducing the Charm City Circulator. It's a fleet of 21 free shuttles that will travel three routes in the business district of Baltimore City.
The service will begin January 11th at 11am and target residents, downtown employees, students, tourists and anyone else who wishes to ride.
The service is free to the rider. Barry Robinson, Chief of Transit and Marine Services for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation says the shuttle arrives every 10 minutes at the designated stops on each route.
Robinson says the shuttle is intended to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas pollution by offering a convenient, reliable and eco-friendly form of public transportation.
The Charm City Circulator consists of three separate routes-the Green Route which runs from City Hall to Fells Point to Johns Hopkins, the Purple Route which runs from Penn Station to Federal Hill, and the Orange Route which runs from Hollins Market to Harbor East.
The city has chosen 21 DesignLine 2009 EcoSaver IV LF Hybrid Electric vehicles-the first fleet of this type in a major metropolitan area. The Charm City Circulator is one part of Mayor Dixon's vision of a "cleaner, greener Baltimore."
The cost to the city is approximately $5Million dollars a year which is expected to be supported by an increase in the city parking garage tax.
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