Construction began earlier this month on Alabama’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system, Birmingham Xpress. The BRT route will connect 25 neighborhoods to opportunities and vital services along a 10-mile corridor between Five Points West and Woodlawn in Birmingham, Ala. The city says the first construction will focus on the west transit center in Five Points West near Birmingham CrossPlex. This is the first bus rapid transit system in Alabama.
“Simply put, Birmingham Xpress will be a connector for eastern and western neighborhoods to jobs, services and opportunities,” Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said. “Providing reliable, efficient and alternative transportation options for our residents and visitors has been a priority. Birmingham Xpress will enhance public transportation for our residents and neighborhoods.”
The Birmingham Xpress, which is a partnership between the city of Birmingham, the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) and Federal Transit Administration, is scheduled to be completed in early 2022.
The system will use bus rapid transit technology and is designed to improve travel time, lower costs and enhance service appeal. The new Birmingham Xpress alignment will replace BJCTA’s MAX services that currently operate within the corridor, greatly improving reliability, mobility, capacity and operations on one of BJCTA’s highest ridership corridors. The travel time between Woodlawn and Crossplex is estimated to be just under an hour.
The project is funded by federal transit grants and the city, including a $20-million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, which was secured with the help of U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL-7).
“It’s so exciting to see the $20 million in federal funding we fought so hard to secure in 2015 pay off in a way that will directly impact Birmingham residents’ everyday lives! The Birmingham Xpress West Transit Center will improve travel time and decrease costs, connecting more Birmingham residents to their places of work and communities, and increasing livability and opportunity. This critical project will bring us one step closer to ensuring our public transportation systems are both equitable and sustainable,” said U.S. Rep. Sewell.
The city and BJCTA have partnered to host informational meetings about Birmingham Xpress, including a meeting with contractors to learn more about opportunities connected to construction of the system.
“Birmingham Xpress is a game changer for public transportation in the Birmingham-Jefferson County region,” said BJCTA Executive Director and CEO Frank T. Martin. “It is the first phase of what we believe will be expanded to other communities in the future. We are excited to operate Birmingham Xpress and make it an integral part of the services we provide.”
