Below are frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Birmingham Xpress BRT Transit Project.
1. Who is paying for the Birmingham Xpress Transit Program?
This Program is being paid for with a combination of federal transit grant funds and City of Birmingham Funds.
2. What is a TIGER Grant?
A TIGER Grant, or Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, is a federal program designed to provide funding to improve access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation while expanding economic development opportunities.
3. What is the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) role in the program?
The FTA is the lead agency to ensure transit projects comprising the program meets all legal requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). They also have responsibility for monitoring and overseeing work on this TIGER-funded project.
4. Will the program activities be leveraged to enhance transportation during the World Games 2022?
The City’s objective is to have an operating Transit System in place before The World Games 2022 that can be leveraged to continue City transit to benefit the citizens and the economy.
5. Will there be enough capacity along 18th Street and 5th Avenue South if some travel lanes are removed and repurposed as bus-only lanes?
In traffic engineering, roadway and intersection capacities are expressed as levels-of-service (LOS) ranging from “A” to “F”. Generally, LOS “C” is considered desirable, while LOS “D” is considered acceptable during peak hours of traffic flow. To evaluate the impact of removing travel lanes and repurposing them as bus-only lanes, a capacity analysis was performed at each signalized intersection along the Birmingham Xpress Corridor. LOS for the approaches to each intersection and the intersection as a whole were evaluated under existing and proposed conditions. Along the 18th Street and 5th Avenue South corridors, existing LOS ranged from A to D; and under the proposed conditions, the LOS stayed in that same range. No intersection or intersection approach fell below the “acceptable” LOS with the removal of the travel lanes.
6. Why are left turns being restricted on portions of 5th Avenue South and 18th Street?
The left turn restrictions along portions of the downtown streets are necessary for several reasons:
- Safety – Allowing left turns would introduce conflicting movements between passenger vehicles and Birmingham Xpress buses, which would increase the likelihood of bus crashes. It goes against driver expectation to turn left from the outside lane and to look for buses that are traveling in the same direction while they are turning. Also, there will be an added safety benefit from a pedestrian perspective. Pedestrians traveling east-west along 5th Avenue and north-south along 18th Street will no longer have to contend with left-turning vehicles.
- General Traffic Operations – Since there will be only one lane for passenger vehicles, if left turns were allowed from that lane, vehicles would likely queue waiting to turn left and block and through vehicles from progressing.
- Bus Operations – Those left turning vehicles could also stop in the middle of the intersection waiting to turn left in front of the bus-only lanes and block the Birmingham Xpress buses from progressing.
7. Has there been any study of ambulance vehicle safety and access to determine impact?
The turn restrictions will not apply to any emergency vehicles with their lights/sirens on. There will be no physical separation to stop them from making their normal movements. An additional benefit of the BRT is that emergency vehicles will be permitted to use the bus-only lanes and can bypass vehicles in the general purpose lane. BRT bus operators will be instructed to always yield to emergency vehicles.
8. Can you provide a better description of left turn restrictions at the intersections and along the route?
Left turn restrictions will be required on Bessemer Road westbound at Avenue X, St Charles Ave SW southbound at 7th Street SW, and 1st Ave N westbound at 18th Street. Left turns are currently restricted on 6th Ave S eastbound at 8th Street S. No other left turn restrictions will be implemented with this project.
9. Will the road widen at each station and result in a narrowing of the pedestrian right-of-way as depicted in the recent diagrams? Does this require a new curb in front of COA entrance and at UAB ambulance entrance if the station remains at 5th Avenue and 17th Street?
New curb will be required at the COA ambulance exit. However, the pedestrian right-of-way will not be narrowed. The stations in this area are designed to be “pass through” stations, with an ADA compliant accessible route through the stations.
10. How can I be involved in the Transit Program?
There are several ways for you to be involved in the Birmingham Transit Program:
- Visit this website to receive updates.
- Sign up for newsletters.
- Attend Public Meetings to talk to staff and members of the team.
- Share your thoughts. Questions and comments are welcome at any time through the Feedback Section on the website.
11. My question is not included in these FAQs?
Please fill out and submit the feedback form on the Public Involvement webpage. We’ll update the FAQs at regular intervals based on feedback received. However, your feedback/comments/concerns may be addressed in an appropriate manner determined by the project team.
