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Route 8 is a bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore and its suburbs. The line currently runs from the University of Maryland Transit Center to the Lutherville Light Rail Stop along the corridors of York Road and Greenmount Avenue, and is one of the most heavily used MTA bus lines.〔("Transit Route Performance - 1999" ). Baltimore Transit Archives. Retrieved 2010-08-25〕 The Route 8 bus route is the successor to the 8 Towson and 7 Govanstown streetcar lines.〔("The Routes of Baltimore Transit: 1900 to today" ). Baltimore Transit Archives. Retrieved 2010-08-25〕 ==History== Route 8 was electrified in 1895 as a streetcar running from Towson to Catonsville. Back then, it served the corridors of York Road, Greenmount Avenue, and Frederick Road through downtown Baltimore. Another streetcar, known as "no. 7," operated a short-turn version of this route from Govanstown to Irvington before being absorbed into no. 8 in 1931.〔 In 1963, the line was converted into a bus operation, retaining this route. The no. 8 streetcar was the final streetcar line of Baltimore to undergo a conversion into a bus service. 〔Herbert H. Harwood (2003). ''Baltimore Streetcars: The Postwar Years''. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp 22-29. ISBN 0-8018-7190-5.〕 There were also various branches of Route 8 added over the years to communities including Mt. Washington (added in 1972, designated 8A), Cockeysville (operated 1973-1989, designated 8B), Providence/Springlake (operated 1973-1989, designated 8D and 8E), Eudowood, the Towson State University campus, and Stella Maris nursing home, which opened in 1980.〔(Our History ). Stella Maris. Retrieved 2010-08-25〕 All these services have since been absorbed by other lines or otherwise abolished.〔 In 1982, Route 8 was split into two separate lines in order to provide improved schedule adherence on each line and varied frequencies of service along each corridor, where demands for service varied. The new Route 8 ran from the center of Towson to the University of Maryland Transit Center, and the new Route 2 from Catonsville to City Hall.〔 Service along Route 2 is currently provided by Route 10. In 1992, in conjunction with the opening of the Central Light Rail line, Route 8 was extended north of Towson to the Lutherville Light Rail Stop on Ridgely Road except on Sundays.〔MTA June 1992 schedule changes〕 This extension mostly overlapped with Route 9, and this duplication of service during off-peak hours was criticized as costly. Branches to the Towson State campus and Stella Maris, though originally proposed for elimination, continued to operate at this time. In 1993, MTA, addressing the cost issue of the extension, eliminated Route 9 service between Towson and Lutherville during off-peak weekday hours, and improved the frequency of that line's service on other parts of the route. The Lutherville extension on Saturdays was also discontinued, and on weekends, improved levels of this service were provided on Route 9.〔MTA January 1993 schedule changes〕 In 2000, MTA combined Routes 8 and 9, and extended selected Route 8 trips from Lutherville to Hunt Valley. This constituted about two-thirds of trips at most times. This consolidation saved costs and allowed single-seat service along the York Road corridor at all times, while making Route 8 one of the longest routes operated by MTA. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Route 8 (MTA Maryland)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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