TMD completed a redesign of the MAX Transit system for the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA). Forward With MAX was the first comprehensive review of the system in several decades and offers an opportunity for BJCTA to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with an improved transit system for Alabama’s largest city.
The project started in Fall 2020, with a comprehensive analysis of existing market and service conditions. TMD shared key findings from existing conditions analysis in early 2021 through a series of virtual stakeholder workshops, virtual meetings with individual cities, and socially distanced “pop-up” events. Input was also collected from the community on desired service improvements to ensure the redesigned plan reflected Birmingham and Jefferson County’s mobility needs. The results of the existing conditions review combined with community input informed the plan principles and helped identify potential mobility solutions.
TMD then finalized the plan collaboratively with BJCTA staff. The authority operates under a complex funding structure with service costs allocated proportionally to the member jurisdictions, requiring a more rigorous and meticulous draft plan costing effort than most COAs. The plan was designed to better meet rider needs with an optimized fixed route network that integrates with BJCTA’s new BRT line and offers innovative mobility options, including an expansion of BJCTA’s MAX On Demand program. BJCTA experienced an 8.6% ridership growth following the implementation of the COA.
BJCTA has continued to roll out and expand its microtransit services since late 2022, adding hours and expanding zones in line with TMD’s COA recommendations. In the first nine months of 2024, BJCTA reported a 35.5% increase in ridership for its MAX On Demand services while only adding 9.8% more revenue hours, as compared to the same period in 2023. This represents a 23.4% increase in productivity (boardings per revenue hour).
