MTA launches transit scavenger hunt across Baltimore next month

MTA is turning Baltimore’s transit network into a citywide scavenger hunt next month, giving riders a free three-day CharmFlex pass if they sign up by July 8. The agency says its inaugural Ride & Seek will push participants across Baltimore by Local Bus, Light Rail and Metro Subway, with clues tied to landmarks, events and destinations that are meant to draw people into parts of the city they may not normally visit.

The multi-day game runs July 10 through July 12 and uses the Eventzee app to guide players from stop to stop. Participants scan yellow-decal QR codes on bus stop signs, earn points and climb a public leaderboard. The hunt runs during regular service hours on Friday and Saturday, then ends at 1 p.m. Sunday. Registered participants must be at least 18, and MTA says winners will be announced within five business days after the event ends.

The promotion is built around more than novelty. Holly Arnold, the Maryland Transit Administrator, said transit is about connecting people to experiences, culture, entertainment and opportunity. That framing matters in Baltimore City, where a free pass and a set route can steer foot traffic toward neighborhood businesses, attractions and local landmarks that benefit when more riders spill off buses and trains. A successful run could mean more eyes on commercial corridors near transit stops, from neighborhood main streets to stops that serve arts venues, waterfront destinations and other points of interest.

The scavenger hunt also doubles as a real-world test of Baltimore’s transit system. MTA describes itself as one of the largest multimodal transit systems in the United States, and its overview materials say Baltimore is served by more than 60 bus routes, 33 light rail stations and 14 Metro Subway stations. That network is the stage for the event, but it is also where riders experience the system’s strengths and its weak spots, from trip frequency and transfer timing to whether real-time information and clear wayfinding are good enough to move newcomers comfortably through the city.

The event arrives as MTA continues to emphasize customer experience measures that include on-time performance, ridership, service delivered, real-time information availability and operator hiring efforts. A 2025 regional transit report described ridership recovery as running roughly 10% to 12% year over year, underscoring how much the agency has to gain from making transit feel easier, cheaper and more intuitive. For Baltimore, Ride and Seek is more than a summer diversion: it is a public invitation to treat transit as a practical way to move through the city.