no at present i feel baltimore owes the citizen of baltimore rebate rides on the money collected by MTA on a daily basics further i here MTA wants to raise the prices so leave it as it is,

im an african amercian so dont't think me prejudice when i say i further feel that you have to many black bus driver who are down right nasty the female ones in particular i feel you should hire more white,or asian people the service would be a lot more plesent.

I agree with Mary Pat! The Harford Road corridor has been asking for this type of service for years. The senior and community centers are in desperate need of FREE transportation between the corridor and the Inner Harbor!

Last time one passed me it was nearly empty. Keep it free. If they really want to charge for something, charge city council members for parking spots.

Why not increase the loop during the summer to include stopping at Baltimore City Senior Center's . Thereby creating a summer activity that could benefit Senior's and the merchants Downtown and at the Inner Harbor.

Expanding to senior centers is a great idea. Charging for the circulator won't even come close to digging the City out of it's hole. Perhaps eliminating some of the highly paid "assistant" positions and stuff like $1700 trash cans would be more of a help.

Personally, I have only ridden one once. If the city plans to charge for them, turn them over to the MTA

There are a few things to keep in mind: 1) The fee riders pay for transit doesn't come close to covering operating expenses, there needs to be another revenue stream. 2) The Circulator is paid for by the parking tax, a bulk of which comes from the downtown area. So, the area that has this service is the area that's largely paying for this service. 3) For the most part, the service isn't competing with the MTA, it's competing with private cars. Many if not most circulator riders and potential riders would not consider the MTA for any number of reasons and would not use the Circulator if it charged a fare. 3) If it is to be expanded, a greater level of funding is needed. The key to the system is that it is easy to understand and use, that it comes at regular intervals and that the wait for any given bus isn't too long. 4) Charging a fare increases operating expenses for the system. It takes a big investment to install and maintain payment systems, and to collect and account for the money. 5) Finally, the Circulator serves the part of the city that is most densely packed with people (residents, employees, tourists) and it connects different parts of the MTA/Amtrak systems that aren't currently linked.

So, given that a fare would discourage riders, slow the busses down as people paid, require extra investment and personnel costs, and that the money wouldn't come close to meeting the funding needs of the system, charging a fee would be self-defeating.

The circulator should absolutely be kept free! It is providing a much needed service for a whole range of people -- employees, residents, tourists! These are often people who would either jump in their cars to get to Mount Vernon or Harbor East to go to their lunch meetings, or not venture to Cross Street Market as part of their tourist experience. Lots of residents I know use it to go out for dinner or go visit friends. All of these reasons for using the Circulator mean fewer cars on the street. Keeping it free, clean, and efficient means that people are excited to use it and are doing so frequently!

It should definitley be kept free. As a City Resident, I appreciate being able to use this service, esp. when parking is at such a premium in my neighborhood. Don't the Downtown residents pay enough for services already? Besides, as mentioned in a post above, the City really needs to research the options before just determining they need to charge. The cost of installing, auditing, and maintaining a fare system is far more costly than the money that will be collected in actual fares. The CCC works because it is free, and it helps people that are Downtown get around the neighborhoods. This is such a great thing the City is doing - please don't change a formula that is working.

I have used the Circulator many times and I have always had a great experience, even when it's been crowded or there's a lot of traffic. The bus drivers are always friendly and professional, and even the other passengers often seem to be friendlier and more polite. Charging fares would only slow down the service, which in turn would dampen the nice, more civil atmosphere of the bus (something that's hard to find on most forms of mass transit), and most likely ridership would decrease. Also, charging a fare would not even cover the operating costs.
I think the Circulator should remain a free service as it encourages downtown employees, residents and visitors to use mass transit, leave their cars behind, and explore other parts of downtown without having to walk too far or drive a car, causing more traffic congestion and having to pay for parking.

One of the most appealing aspects of the Circulator is the ability to hop-on and hop-off at leisure. I use the circulator multiple times a day; if I was required to pay for the service, I'd likely reconsider how often I ride the Circulator. In fact, a rider-fee could amount to the same cost as paying for a parking pass each month. It seems as though a huge benefit of the Circulator is keeping cars of the road, so adding a fee to me would discourage riders from using the Circulator over getting in their cars.

Keep it free! This is one of the few things the city has done in recent years that is a positive for the city. We pay enough in property taxes, we deserve to get something for our money (even though the money comes from parking garage fees). It makes living near and getting around downtown much easier. It save time and aggravation when I need to go downtown from South Baltimore (Federal Hill), and saves money on parking. It also helps to relieve congestion downtown, as it tkes many cars off of the street. Also, if one wants to go have a few drinks, they do not have to worry about drinking and driving. For that reason, the hours should be extended on weekends.
The circulator also helps downtown businesses, as one can patronize them without worrying about where to park, or even if there is somewhere nearby to park. If I had to pay every time, I would be less likely to use it. It also saves me money on gas and wear and tear on my car.

Keep it free. Baltimore needs to start focusing on vastly improving it’s basic quality of life services if it wants to thrive. You can throw millions of dollars at big development projects, but you can’t make people want to live or work here. Are you listening Stephanie? Jack? Things like free public transportation options, cheaper or free parking on nights and weekends, clean streets, bike and pedestrian friendliness, public safety patrols etc are the things that allow a city to be not just livable but vibrant. If you create the basic environment they will come and they will stay. Pro Tip: go get yourself a copy Sim City.