“Express” 280 bus route moves forward

A proposed bus route for U.S. Highway 280 could save commuters from high gas prices and traffic stresses beginning Nov. 17.

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) is piloting a new bus program called Route 201, which would run four times per day between the Walmart located at 5335 U.S. 280 and downtown Birmingham. Walmart has agreed to let riders use its parking lot as a “park-and-ride.” Two inbound buses will run at 5:45 and 6:30 a.m., and the outbound buses will run at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Along the way, the bus will make stops at The Summit, St. Vincent’s Hospital, UAB, the central business district and the downtown business district.

BJCTA Chief of Staff Barbara Murdock said the bus route is being created because the current 280 route includes several stops at different businesses and it isn’t practical for commuters trying to get downtown.

“It stops all along the corridor and it takes about an hour or more to get through the corridor,” Murdock said.

The planned route will bypass every stop except The Summit so it could travel to and from downtown Birmingham more quickly. Murdock said the buses would hold between 26 and 30 people and have Wi-Fi access. Murdock said bus riders will arrive at work in a “much more pleasant frame of mind” because they will be working or enjoying leisure activities instead of fighting traffic. The buses will fill on a first-come, first-serve basis, and fares are $1.25.

With a maximum load of 30 people per bus, Route 201 won’t do much to fix traffic congestion on 280. However, the buses would have a positive environmental impact and make the commute easier for its riders. Murdock said that the BJCTA will use this new route as a way to introduce commuters to public transit.

“We don’t anticipate any major impact on traffic, but our goal is to take a few cars off the road,” Murdock said.

The buses were purchased through grant money and matching funds from the city of Hoover. There are two other routes in the planning phase: a commuter route between Bessemer and Hoover and a shuttle from the airport to multiple downtown locations. The Birmingham shuttle is an immediate priority for the BJCTA and the Bessemer-Hoover route is planned for January 2015.

The BJCTA held public meetings in October to get public feedback on the route. The meeting at the Perimeter Park Hilton drew fewer than 10 people, but Murdock said overall public response was positive. If demand for the buses exceeds their capacity, she said the BJCTA will make changes to the route to accommodate more riders.

“We’re just trying to meet the needs of our service area,” Murdock said.