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The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved $17.3 million in annual funding for the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, an increase from $16.8 million last year.
“Public transportation is a lifeline for a lot of people in Birmingham. Public surveys have consistently shown us that public transportation is the number one thing people want to see the city invest in,” Councilor Darrell O’Quinn said. “We’re committed to that, and we’re committed to building out a more inclusive system that works for everyone despite the challenges we face in the state of Alabama in terms of public funding from the state.”
Most of the funding increase will go toward fixed-route and paratransit services, with on-demand, Clas-Tran and bus rapid transit services staying flat.
Officials from the Transit Authority answered questions from the council Tuesday. Councilor Crystal Smitherman asked why the city has seen a significant decline in ridership.
BJCTA officials said much of the decline is due to the authority doing away with three routes in the city. Other issues included construction on routes and a data entry problem with a third-party software company, they said.
When factoring out the three routes that were discontinued, ridership was relatively flat, decreasing 1.3% to 1.21 million.
Answering a question from Councilor Josh Vasa about the authority’s fleet, BJCTA executive director Charlotte Shaw said the authority has 30 paratransit vans and 13 microtransit vans. The appropriation approved Tuesday will include $2.5 million for 12 additional microtransit vans, she added.
During the discussion of transportation funding, O’Quinn said he wanted the public to know that the BJCTA will take steps to create savings in general administrative costs, which has been a concern from city leaders.
In other business, the council also voted to establish fines of up to $500 for operating unmanned aircraft, or drones, near ticketed events, including concerts and sporting events, without proper authorization. The measure follows a state law that provides a legal framework for municipalities to enforce the restrictions.
