City Officials Break Ground On Birmingham Xpress Project

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Birmingham city officials broke ground Friday on the Birmingham Xpress project, a rapid bus system that spans 10 miles and run from Five Points West through downtown Birmingham to Woodlawn.

According to city officials, the project will connect 25 city neighborhoods and will be the first bus rapid transit system in Alabama.

"Simply put, Birmingham Xpress will be a connector for eastern and western neighborhoods to jobs, services and opportunities,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “Providing reliable, efficient and alternative transportation options for our residents and visitors has been a priority.”

In addition, city officials said the project will also enable citizens to reach employment, educational, and health care centers.

It will also provide access for visitors to explore Birmingham’s historic and cultural location. BX will implement innovative system designs and technologies to improve travel time, lower costs, and enhance service appeal.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, helped secure the federal transit grant for the project.

“It’s so exciting to see the $20 million in federal funding we fought so hard to secure in 2015 pay off in a way that will directly impact Birmingham residents’ everyday lives! The Birmingham Xpress West Transit Center will improve travel time and decrease costs, connecting more Birmingham residents to their places of work and communities, and increasing livability and opportunity. This critical project will bring us one step closer to ensuring our public transportation systems are both equitable and sustainable,” said U.S. Rep. Sewell.

The first construction will focus on the west transit center in Five Points West near Birmingham CrossPlex. This is the first bus rapid transit system in Alabama.

Birmingham Xpress is a City of Birmingham project in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration and the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA). The system uses bus rapid transit technology and design to improve travel time, lower costs and enhance service appeal. The project is funded by federal transit grants and the city.

The $40 million project is supported mostly by federal transit grants and city funds. Construction is scheduled to start in January and be complete by June 2022.