Hi

Previously something I found rather embarassing living in Balto. City was the lack of Metro service on Sundays (it ran only Monday-Saturday before). Last week, Governor Glendening announced that the subway will recommence service on Sundays beginning Sept. 2nd.

While mostly being beneficial to local residents wishing to go to church, work and play, tourists will now have another option for visiting the city on a Sunday. One can park one's car for example at Owings Mills and go into the city. The Metro stops near Bolton Hill/Mount Vernon (STATE CENTER), Lexington Market (LEXINGTON MARKET), a few blocks from the Inner Harbor/Camden Yards--from which one can water taxi to Fell's Point and Fort McHenry (CHARLES CENTER), right near "The Block" and Little Italy (SHOT TOWER/MARKET PLACE), as well as Johns Hopkins Hospital (JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL). While parking is not as difficult to find as in some other larger metropolises, it's nice that people have another option on Sunday

This change I believe was prompted by the 7.5% increase in overall MTA ridership and a change in attitude about the city in the past several years (from being somewhere to avoid to being considered somewhere hip & fun). Gay, unmarried, young couple or empty nester professionals in particular have started to make the city a more and more vibrant place to be.

Thought I should share. DAN

This isn't the same as the MARC train, is it? Getting from BWI to Union Station in DC is easy on weekdays, and cheap, too, on MARC. But on weekends, forget it!

Hi

No, the Baltimore subway is not the same as the MARC train. The Baltimore subway runs from Johns Hopkins Hospital through downtown Baltimore City and up to Owings Mills in Baltimore County.

I should add that Baltimore Metro/subway service will be FREE for the entire month of September on Sundays.

Unfortunately the disconnect between the BWI/downtown Baltimore leg of Light Rail and the Cultural Center--Penn Station OR Timonium-Hunt Valley leg of Light Rail I checked today still requires a bus. (Remember that multi-car train fire? There was a simultaneous water main break on Howard St. that's still being fixed, and thus the disruption of Light Rail service.) Just to clarify, Light Rail is not the same as MARC and runs on a different path.

Oh great subway now will run on Sundays and now crime will increase on Sundays in Owings Mills......and yes that is a fact....look at all the major corridors around Baltimore...where the MTA buses stop is where crime is virtually non-existent.....

Kevin--

If your theory is true, then Manhattan should be one of the most dangerous districts in the USA, since it is very easily accessible by public transportation. Guess what? It's not...not even close. Philadelphia is similarly accessible by public transport, by FBI rankings safest of the largest 12 cities in the USA. Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix have a far higher crime rate where the culture is car culture and public transport is far less than in the Northeast.

As far as Baltimore is concerned, don't think for one second that it's the people on public transport who are the main crime committers; I don't have hard statistics, but to my understanding, many criminals have cars for a quicker getaway than say on foot (and having to catch the Metro BACK into town). Many if not most public transportation users in my experience (I ride the MTA regularly and live IN Baltimore City) are hard-working Baltimoreans and I find your attitude grossly unfair.