Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority | |
Founded: | 1972 |
Locale: | Birmingham, Alabama |
Service Area: | Jefferson County, Alabama |
Service Type: | Bus service |
Routes: | 31 fixed routes |
Fleet: | 56 standard buses |
Ridership: | |
Annual Ridership: | |
Fuel Type: | Compressed natural gas |
Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) is the public transportation operator in the city of Birmingham, Alabama and surrounding areas. Created in 1972 to take over transit operations from private operators, it operates 109 buses on 38 routes. It also operates paratransit services, as well as micro transit services.[1] In, the system had rides, or about per weekday as of .
Alabama does not provide state support for public transit, and so the funding for and service provided by BJCTA is less than other cities of equivalent size.[2] This contributes to Alabama's status as the state with the highest per capita gasoline consumption.
BJCTA operated under the branding MAX, or Metro Area Express.(BJCTA)BJCTA provides fixed route and paratransit service to a service area of more than 200 square miles with a demand population base of nearly 400,000. The service area includes Birmingham, Bessemer, Fairfield, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and Vestavia Hills. BJCTA carries out its commitment to air quality and pollution control by operating only CNG buses.BJCTA Hours of OperationBusesMonday – Friday4:00 A.M. – 11:30 P.M. (CST)Weekend & Holidays4:00 A.M. – 12:00 A.M. (CST)No Sunday service.
Buses/VansMonday – Friday5:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. (CST)Paratransit Service is a shared-ride service using both Buses and Vans to accommodate its customer.No Sunday service for VIP/Paratransit.
Office HoursMonday – Friday 6:00 A.M.- 9:00 A.M. Saturday: 6:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. (CST)Sunday: Office is closed
(Routes, Schedules and Trip Planning Assistance)Office HoursMonday – Friday 4:00 A.M.- 9:00 P.M. Saturday: 6:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. (CST)Sunday: Office is closed
Beginning in December 2015, BJCTA introduced two new express Airport Shuttle routes from downtown Birmingham hotels directly to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. One bus serves Northside hotels and the other bus serves Southside hotel. The Airport Shuttle routes operate hourly on Mondays through Saturdays and the fare is $5.00.
A bus rapid transit line, named the Birmingham Xpress, was opened on September 22, 2022, running from Woodlawn to Five Points.[3] The service will speed up journeys by offering dedicated lanes, transit signal priority, off-board fare payment and level boarding.[4] The Birmingham Xpress was set up with funds from the federal government under the Presidency of Joe Biden. It did not receive state funds, because Alabama does not provide state funds for public transit. It has 32 stops across an east-west corridor across the city. After starting service, it quickly became the most utilized route in the BJCTA system.