First Shelter Opened at Aberdeen MARC Train Station
State and local officials celebrated a ribbon cutting on October 26 for the first Harford County-owned bus shelter in Aberdeen, launching a long-term plan to install shelters at key bus stops in the county. The shelters planned by Harford Transit LINK, the county’s bus transportation system, will protect riders from the elements, enhancing safety and comfort for riders within its network of bus routes. Harford Transit LINK serves commuters and other travelers within Harford County and into Cecil County, with connections to regional rail and bus services, and interstate travel. Harford Transit LINK is a division of the Office of Economic Development under the administration of County Executive Barry Glassman.
The first county-owned shelter, located at the Aberdeen MARC Train Station bus stop, serves the highest ridership in Harford’s transit system with an annual passenger count of 45,000; the stop is also a major transfer point for six of the LINK’s eight bus routes. In partnership with the city of Aberdeen, Harford Transit LINK installed the shelter, with three more shelters planned in Aberdeen by year end: near the Aberdeen Boys and Girls Club; at Walmart along Route 40, and at Michael Lane and Old Post Road. An additional shelter will be installed in Bel Air in 2018 at the State Office Building stop located off of West Pennsylvania Avenue, with plans for future sites still in development.
Harford Transit LINK determines shelter locations based on ridership, safety, access to rights of way and funding availability. The shelters are funded by a combination of county funding and grants from the Federal Transit Administration and Maryland Transit Administration.
In 2016, Harford Transit LINK introduced a free app—RouteShout—that allows riders to track buses in real time. RouteShout also provides route information and locates the nearest bus stop for app users who enable the GPS feature. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for iOS devices, from Google Play, or accessed on the county website at http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/1959/RouteShout.
More recently, Harford Transit LINK began a new pilot service, the Silver Line Route 8, connecting employees to jobs in Perryman and Riverside. Extended hours of operation in the pilot line are specially tailored to fit the work shifts offered by area employers.
Harford County Transit LINK operates 43 vehicles Monday through Friday with eight routes countywide and into Cecil County. The LINK also connects with MTA/MARC trains, MTA commuter buses, and regional Greyhound, which then connect with main terminals in Baltimore and interstate travel. Key service areas include Harford Community College, the Mary E. Risteau State Office Building, Upper Chesapeake Health and Harford Memorial hospitals, Perryman Peninsula and Riverside business communities, Aberdeen Train Station, Harford Mall, the Constant Friendship shopping area, Edgewater Village Shopping Center, and Beard’s Hill Shopping Plaza. For more information about Harford Transit LINK schedules and routes, visit www.harfordtransitLINK.org.
