Transportation in Maryland

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) overviews the entire transportation network of the state to ensure safe and easy commuting of people and goods. MDOT owns, manages and maintains numerous lane-miles of roads, bridges, tunnels, rails and also responsible for air and water quality, cleanliness of communities and roadsides. The department has its headquarter in the Hanover area, in Anne Arundel County. The independent Maryland Transportation Authority has its headquarter in Baltimore. The authority administers and runs the 8 toll facilities of the state.

Maryland Road Transportation

The road transportation in Maryland comprises of several interstate highways, state routes, bridges and tunnels. The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is functioning diligently to ensure safe and convenient transportation and also to provide easy connectivity to various cities and states. Maryland encompasses 16 Interstate Highways entirely or partially within the state, of which 6 are primary and 10 are auxiliary Interstates. I-95 is Maryland’s longest primary Interstate. All Interstates highways, except, all of I-895, I-395, a small portion of I-695, I-83, and I-95 within and north of Baltimore are administered and controlled by the Maryland State Highway Administration.

The 5 primary interstate highways in Maryland are-

Interstate 68 runs through Maryland and west Virginia and links I-79 in Morgan town to I-70 in Hancock. I-68 is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System.
Interstate 70 extends from Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. I-70 is the main east-west route in Maryland that links from the Pennsylvania state line in Hancock with I-695 in Baltimore.
Interstate 81 connects the West Virginia state line at the Potomac River in Williamsport north to the Pennsylvania state line near Maugansville.
Interstate 83 has its southern terminus located in Baltimore, Maryland at the Fayette Street exit while its northern terminus is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at I-81.
Interstate 95 is a major highway that crosses from northeast to southwest diagonally. I-95 links Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, partially entering D.C prior to entering Virginia. It is one of the busiest routes in the state especially between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Cycle Maryland program

The Cycle Maryland program is initiated to promote the people of the state to incorporate bicycling in their daily activities and also to make it as a healthy transportation alternative. Cycling is a healthy way to commute without polluting the environment, and additionally, it is a cheaper transportation alternative to cut down household traveling costs and enjoys the scenic landscape of the state. Marylanders celebrate a "Bike to Work Month" on May every year where communities across the state and the nation participate to promote cycling to work as a fun and healthy daily transportation alternative.

Learn more: Cycling infrastructure, plans, funding opportunities and events

Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Long Term Plan

Cycle Maryland has also implemented bikesharing, which is a convenient and affordable system in which bicycles are available for shared use between established stations and also used as another healthy transportation option to make short trips.

Maryland Transit Administration

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is among the nation's largest multi-modal transit systems. Additionally, MTA also provide support and funding to the Locally Operated Transit Systems (LOTS) in Baltimore City, the 23 counties of Maryland, Annapolis and Ocean City.

MTA Maryland operates-

Local and Commuter Buses
Light Rail
Metro Subway
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) Train Service
Paratransit (Mobility) system.
Taxi Access system

The local bus services operated by Maryland Transit Administration include-

47 local buses
4 QuickBus - limited stop routes
4 express bus routes - which operate from various suburbs to downtown Baltimore.

Also read:

Fare Details
Local Bus Information
Commuter Bus Information

Contact Maryland Transit Administration
6 St. Paul St.
Baltimore, MD 21202-1614

Transit Information Contact Center
Phone: (410)-539-5000
Toll Free: 1-866-RIDE-MTA (1-866-743-3682)
Monday through Friday 6am - 7pm
Website: http://mta.maryland.gov/

Maryland Air Transportation

Air transport is an essential gateway of Maryland and serves the locals and tourists from all over the world. It is the major mode that offers all round effective intercity and interstate connectivity. The Federal Aviation Administration authorizes and oversees all flight operations in Maryland.

The major airports of Maryland include-

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) serves the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. It serves many millions of passengers and is one of the busiest airports of North America. BWI serves many airlines, including Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue. The top destinations BWI connect are Atlanta, Georgia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, Orlando, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina and Detroit, Michigan. The Airport is owned and maintained by the Maryland Aviation Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation.

Contact Details:
Maryland Aviation Administration
Third Floor, Terminal Building
P.O. Box 8766
BWI Airport, MD 21240-0766
Maryland Aviation Administration
BWI Airport Information410-859-7111 or 800-I FLY BWI
Airport Police (Emergency)410-859-7040
Fire and Rescue Department410-859-7222
Website: http://www.bwiairport.com/en

Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport

Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) is owned by Wicomico County and operated by Wicomico County Airport Commission. It is the only commercial airport on the whole Delmarva Peninsula. SBY serves Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Eastern Shore of Virginia, including the larger cities of Cambridge, Ocean City and Easton. U.S Airways Express is the major airline that operates to and from SBY.

Contact Details:
5485 Airport Terminal Road
Unit A Salisbury
Maryland 21804
Email: hello@flysbyairport.com
Phone: 410-548-4827
Website: http://www.flysbyairport.com/

Hagerstown Regional Airport

Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR) is a public airport, owned and operated by Washington County. Allegiant Air and Sun Air Express are the major airlines that operate to and from HGR. Sanford, FL and Washington, DC are the top domestic destinations HGR serve.

Contact Details:
Hagerstown Regional Airport
Richard A. Henson Field
18434 Showalter Road
Hagerstown, Maryland 21742
Phone: 240-313-2777
Fax: 301-791-2590
Website: http://www.flyhagerstown.com/

Maryland Rail Transportation

The railways are also one of the main transportation modes in Maryland that serve people from all walks of life and also important for cargo transfer.

The major passenger trains of Maryland include-

Amtrak (AMTK)
Maryland Transit Administration for its MARC operations and the Baltimore Metro Subway
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
Walkersville Southern Railroad
Washington Metro

Amtrak (AMTK)

Amtrak is a railroad system which is publicly financed and serves the nation as intercity passenger train service. Amtrak operates over 300 trains daily and links over 500 destinations in 46 states.

Stations served by Amtrak trains in Maryland are-

Aberdeen, MD (ABE)
BWI Airport, MD - BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Baltimore, MD - Penn Station (BAL)
Cumberland, MD (CUM)
New Carrollton, MD (NCR)
Rockville, MD (RKV)

Learn more: Amtrak timetables, fares, schedules and more information

MTA Maryland operates-

Heavy Rail - Metro Subway
Light Rail
Commuter Rail (MARC)

Heavy Rail - Metro Subway

The Metro Subway system is 15.5-mile track that serves 14-stations. The subway operates at a frequency of every 8-10 minutes (morning and evening rush hours); 11 minutes (weekday evenings); 15 minutes (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).

Fare Break-ups:

General: tracks

One-Way: $1.60
Day Pass: $3.50

Multi-Trip:
Weekly Pass: $16.50
Monthly Pass:$64.00

Senior/Disability Fares:
One-Way: $0.55
Day Pass: $1.20
Monthly Pass:$16.50

Also read: Metro Subway Stations Details

Light Rail

Light Rail is a rail system that provides connectivity from Baltimore County’s (Hunt Valley) to BWI Marshall Airport and Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County.

Light Rail Route:

Huntsville and BWI Marshall Airport via corporate, shopping complex, hotel, northern Baltimore City, the northern suburbs, downtown Baltimore, the harbor, southern Baltimore City.
Penn Station and Camden Yards
Hunt Valley/Timonium and Cromwell Station/Glen Burnie

Daily Service: From 5:00 am to 12:00 am WEEKDAYS From 6:00 am to 12:00 am SATURDAYS From 11:00 am to 7:00 pm SUNDAYS

Fare Break-ups:

General:
One-Way: $1.60
Day Pass: $3.50

Multi-Trip:
Weekly Pass: $16.50
Monthly Pass: $64.00

Senior/Disability Fares:
One-Way: $0.55
Day Pass: $1.20
Monthly Pass: $16.50

Commuter Rail (MARC)

Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) is formed of 3 lines that serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is owned by Maryland Transit Administration and operated by Bombardier Transportation. It provides services to areas including Harford County, Maryland;Washington D.C.; Baltimore City; Brunswick, Maryland; Maryland, Frederick and Martinsburg, West Virginia.

The 3 lines include-

The Brunswick Line
The Camden Line
The Penn Line

MARC Train Service operates Monday through Friday only. Penn Line provides weekend service.

Learn more: Details on MARC Train Service

Maryland Water Transportation

Maryland has some important canals that serve many sea ports and are the vital hubs for major export and import of goods and cargo movement and distribution across the state, the United States and also throughout the world. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is one major canal that serves as an important route for cargo movement across Maryland and beyond.

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a ship canal that provides connectivity of the Chesapeake Bay with Delaware River in Maryland and Delaware states. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District owns and operates the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It is one of the busiest canals in the world which is open and operated 24*7. The canal plays very important role for the ports of Baltimore, Delaware River, and others that is located in the northern Atlantic trade routes. The canal serves as an important route for the transportation of many million tons of cargo by container, and general cargo or bulk carrying vessels.