City to host pilot program for on-demand transit in limited areas
Birmingham will soon launch a six-month experiment with on-demand transit, and the Birmingham City Council approved management contracts for two iconic city-owned amenities, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and The Carver Theatre, which is accepting donations for its renovation.
TRANSIT ‘TOOLS’
The Birmingham City Council voted in September to use a $502,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham to fund a new on-demand microtransit pilot program for six months beginning in December.
The council voted to accept the grant and approve an agreement with Chicago-based River North Transit LLC, which operates as Via. Via will run the program for $752,000. Along with the grant money, the city will provide $250,000 from its fiscal year 2020 budget.
Transit is no longer just about buses, according to Mayor Randall Woodfin. “We want to add additional tools in the tool box,” he told the council.
However, Woodfin stressed the city’s buses are not in danger.
“This does not take away from our MAX system,” Woodfin said.
The service will include UAB, downtown and several Western communities, including Smithfield, Graymont, Bush Hills and College Hills.
Residents can book a shared ride for $1.50. Via’s technology connects multiple passengers headed in the same direction and places them into a single vehicle, according to a city news release.
Woodfin described Via as similar to Uber and Lyft but said smartphones are not necessary to access it. For example, seniors can call from their landlines.
About 80 other cities are using on-demand transit from Via, Woodfin said.
FACILITY NEWS
Also in September, the council approved management contracts for two iconic facilities in the Civil Rights District.
The Board of Directors of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will manage the BCRI for three years for $1 million annually.
The nonprofit Jazz Hall of Fame of Alabama will operate the Carver Theatre until June 30, 2022, for $175,000 per year.
The historic Carver, a former movie house, has been a city-owned events venue for more than 25 years.
In 2016, the City Council approved $4.3 million to renovate it, and construction is expected to begin soon, said Leah Tucker, Jazz Hall of Fame executive director.
However, the city’s appropriation isn’t enough to fully complete the project, Tucker said. The nonprofit is seeking donations to fill the gap at jazzhall.com.