Tag Archives: proposed

UPDATE: BJCTA to hold public meeting on proposed new U.S. 280 commuter route

UPDATE: 9/23/2014, 4:15 p.m. – The original headline for this piece, and information contained within, was based information provided during and after the presentation suggesting it would take place on September 23. While preparing to re-share the piece this afternoon, we learned that it will instead be held on a new, yet to be confirmed date in the near future. It will be shared here once it is finalized.

###
newmallbusBirmingham area residents living along U.S. Highway 280 may soon have another option to consider during their morning and evening commutes. Members of the Birmingham City Council’s Transportation and Communication committee heard from Henry Ikwut-Ukwa, manager of planning and development for the BJCTA, on Wednesday afternoon about proposed commuter route along the perpetually congested thoroughfare.

The proposed route, which would be known as Route 201, would run four times a day initially (two trips inbound at 5:45 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. and two trips outbound at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.). The buses would operate between the Walmart location along Highway 280 near Lake Purdy and State Highway 119 and the BJCTA’s Central Station (soon to be replaced by the intermodal facility now under construction), stopping at The Summit, St. Vincent’s Hospital UAB, the central business district, and the Social Security Building (located at the corner of 14th Street North and Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd). It was stressed that the route is only proposed at this point and is subject to changes.

It is one of three routes currently under consideration for pilot commuter service in the area. One of the other proposed routes would operate during peak morning and afternoon travel periods between downtown Bessemer and the Galleria in Hoover. A third route would serve as the long-talked about shuttle service between downtown Birmingham and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

bjcta280boundThe seven new buses being used for the pilot effort were purchased using grant monies obtained with local matching funds provided by the city of Hoover originally intended to provide assistance for a city circulator. It was later changed to allow for the purchase. (It is one of several orders for new buses received in recent years by the BJCTA.) A restriction on the how the grant could be used prevents them from being added to the existing fixed routes. Ikwut-Ukwa placed the estimated cost to operate the service at $101,400 and that it could be accommodated in the current operations budget. He told the committee the authority was anticipating an estimated early usage of 25-35 riders; each bus can hold 26 people and are ADA accessible. He also informed them the authority’s board was looking at the system’s fare structure and that the cost for riding on this particular route had not been determined as of yet.

There will be a public notification meeting held on Tuesday, September 23, in the Arrington Auditorium on the fourth floor of the Birmingham Public Library’s central branch from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the near future. It’s hoped those in attendance will help them to refine and develop the pilot route and schedule.

Building our way out of traffic

US 31/280 sign The proposal to build metro Birmingham out of the traffic congestion that is Highway 280 has been seeing a lot of attention recently.

This morning’s Birmingham News talked about the idea of flex tolls on the elevated portion. The plan being presented by ALDOT officials continues to do the rounds, with varying results. The Birmingham Business Alliance issued a press release last week strongly supporting the project while members of the Birmingham City Council have strongly voiced concerns about the project.

Groups are still organizing both for and against this project (including this memo from Homewood written last month) that will undoubtedly change the face of the metropolitan area’s Southernmost regions and they’re still trying to get a better understanding about just how the road will operate once constructed.

We were wondering if you’d share your opinions over on Magic City Question

Austin shares Parking in Front Yard Ordinance online

Johnathan F. AustinOne of the more active people on Twitter in recent days in Birmingham, AL is City Councilor Johnathan Austin. He’s recently started live-tweeting portions of the weekly City Council meetings and has given those following his account a chance to get to hear a little more about upcoming projects than folks have been able to in the past.

That would include a tweet late yesterday that included a link to the proposed “front yard parking ordinance” that is scheduled to go before the council for a vote in the near future.

Check it out and share your thoughts down below. They are after all still looking for public input…