AL: Alabama has no public transit funding, but this city has a $1.50 solution

Beginning July 1, Irondale residents will have access to on-demand transportation services through a half-million-dollar pilot program.

MAX On-Demand Transit, a new-to- Irondale microtransit service, will help provide convenient transportation throughout the city as well as connections to the Birmingham bus system and Woodlawn Intermodal Center. The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is fully funding the 15-month pilot program through a $513,750 grant.

“Transportation is about more than getting from point A to point B – it’s about connecting people to jobs, healthcare, shopping, education, and opportunity,” Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. said in a statement.

The service will operate Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. using two vans to serve Irondale.

Riders will be able to book trips through a smartphone app or by phone. The fare will be $1.50 per ride.

Alabama is the only state in the country that does not provide funding for public transportation, according to Christopher Nanni, the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.

Nanni said the transit service will help to boost economic development by making jobs and businesses more accessible.

“Research was done by the Brookings Institute that showed that if you have a vehicle in Birmingham, in the Birmingham region, you have access to a hundred times more jobs in a 30-minute radius,” Nanni said.

“Because of the high poverty rate in our region, there are a lot of people that don’t have vehicles…. If we can grow alternative forms of public transportation, then we can help our community with regard to workforce development, getting people to medical appointments.”

The transportation service is already available throughout the Birmingham area with a 12.5 minute average wait time. Among current riders, 57% use the service to get to work or school, while 33% of rides connect people to hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, according to the city of Homewood which will also be launching their on demand transportation service with MAX Transit in July.

Across the Birmingham metro, MAX Transit ridership has steadily increased 9% per month over the past two years, according to Charlotte Shaw, CEO of the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority.

Irondale decided to launch the microtransit program after surveying city residents, which garnered more than 535 responses.

The survey results found:

• Nearly 66% of respondents said they would use the service at least occasionally.
• About 20% of respondents said they would use the service daily or two to three times per week.
• Nearly 65% identified retail destinations such as the Publix grocery store as a top transportation need.

“The residents of Irondale made it clear through our survey that there is a need for this service,” Stewart said in a statement.

“Thanks to the partnership and investment of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and MAX Transit, we’re excited to deliver a solution that improves mobility and quality of life for our community.”

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