Halethorpe MARC Station

I’m about equidistant from this MARC station and the BWI one, but this one has free parking so I thought I’d give it a try for commuting to my new job in DC. NOPE. The lot is completely full by 7:15, and by 7 you’re parking at the furthest end. So then you have to park on Route 1, and the available space there fills up early, too. It seems that people sometimes park in the residential neighborhoods on the northbound side of the track, but I’ve also heard the residents don’t like that, understandably.
There is an overpass, but since the northbound side of the tracks is on the other side from the parking lot, taking a commuter train back means standing in a large herd of people trudging up the stairs, across the tracks, down the stairs, and into the parking lot. It’s awful. I’m just buying a monthly ticket from BWI so I can get free parking there– seems much, much better!

I am giving 3 stars because of the new station construction (almost complete) that provides a raised platform, handicap accessibility, and an easier bridge to cross tracks (the old crossing was treacherous to say the least, metal winding stairs and about a block along a highway). My big beef is that in all that new construction, they failed to build any sort of bus depot to serve the limited bus lines that connect the area. The buses pick up and drop off at pretty much random spots along the parking lot. Fix that, and it would be a much better transit hub for the area.