MAX board members in a specially called meeting Tuesday approved a $115 million transit plan pushed by Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford.
The plan includes $33 million for a street car system Downtown, which Langford said he wanted as part of his vision for an improved public transit system. The Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) Board also approved the purchase of 100 new buses, 30 paratransit vehicles, a shuttle service to the Birmingham International Airport and Sunday service, all part of the new transit plan.
Board Chairman Brian Hamilton said the approval, however, is contingent on MAX receiving money from the $17 million that is expected to flow to transit from the recent 1-cent sales tax increase. It went into effect Jan. 1, after Langford – less than a month in office — persuaded the City Council to approve the tax and to double business license fees.
Learn more details about the plan at The Birmingham News’ blog. Also, see what others are saying about the street car proposal and transit in Birmingham here on UrbanPlanet.
In other business, the BJCTA Board reversed its plans to increase fares for bus riders after the Birmingham City Council rescinded its authorization for the increase. Councilors voted Tuesday during their regular meeting, saying the new tax made the proposed rate hikes unnecessary. MAX officials had wanted the increased fares to fill a $824,500 hole in the bus system’s 2008 operating budget.
