In a continuation of my series on public transit, I thought it would be helpful to similarly identify the services Hopkins offers that keep us well connected throughout the city. By reducing transportation inequity amongst students, the multitude of options available to Hopkins affiliates makes it easier to be actively involved in Baltimore.
Homewood-Peabody-jhmi Shuttle
The ‘JHMI’ is my lifeline for getting around Baltimore! It connects Homewood in the north to the medical campus in the east, with intermittent stops in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood and Penn Station. It’s the most reliable bus, is incredibly safe, and, according to one of its drivers, significantly faster than its local city counterparts.
Most memorable JHMI experience
Putting our bikes on the front of the bus on a Friday night because we were too tired to bike five miles home; none of us knew how to do it, so the driver kindly stepped off the bus to teach us!
Blue Jay Night Ride
Available from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day, the shuttle is your own personal rideshare! With a fleet of vans, you can order shuttles from your phone to pick you up within the service area. It’s a great way to ride with friends. Also, if all the shuttles are busy and your request for one hasn’t been fulfilled in 15 minutes, Hopkins will send you a Lyft free of charge!
Note: These rideshare Blue Jay Shuttles operate during the day but aren’t on-demand until 6 p.m. The shuttles have dedicated routes during the day (ex. to Hopkins’ non-undergraduate campuses in East Baltimore and throughout neighborhoods like Remington and Hampden).
Most memorable shuttle experience
Usually, you’re allowed up to five people per shuttle booking. On a night during first-year fall, 14 of my fellow AMR2 residents planned on heading downtown to the Inner Harbor ice skating rink. We booked three different shuttles to accommodate the group. When the first shuttle arrived with its crop of passengers, we remarked on how awesome it would be if we could all ride together. This group of existing passengers offered to get off, unprompted, yielding my first and only party shuttle (so far)!
Collegetown Shuttle
A coalition of Baltimore’s universities created the Collegetown Shuttle, which connects Hopkins to other universities like Morgan State University, Loyola University Maryland, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Towson University! It’s a wonderful initiative to link college students across the city. This is how I travel up to the Towson Town Center Mall/Theatre when I am trying to catch a film.
Most memorable shuttle experience
My annual trip up north to Towson with one of my closest friends to watch the latest Star Wars re-release!
Just as the city has its helpful apps, Hopkins has Transloc which lets you track/book all Hopkins-sponsored transportation, including the bus and Homewood/Collegetown shuttle.
Fun tip: A lot of universities and organizations are registered on Transloc, so if you’re ever in desperate need of a ride in an unfamiliar city, make sure to check Transloc! (In case the app doesn’t work, or you need to get in touch with transportation, just flip your J-Card for their number).
In what I am sure is not a conclusion on this mini transportation series, I hope the services outlined in both blogs keep you well informed of all the opportunities we have at our disposal. Public transit is the definitive way of getting around any city as big as Baltimore, and the quicker we students understand that the more engaged we can stay with the city.
