Transit Board Approves Fare Increase and Service Cuts
Bus riders in Birmingham and Jefferson County will see an increase in their fares and reduced service times beginning this November.
After weeks of debate, the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) approved its $34 million budget Wednesday. This includes setting one-way fares at $1.50 — an increase of 25 cents. And some MAX bus routes that run late into the evening will now end at 7 p.m.
You asked, we listened! Here is a modified proposal for fare increases effective September 23, 2019 based on feedback from riders. pic.twitter.com/NwFcnVjlbf
— MAX Transit (@BJCTAMAX) August 22, 2019
Transit leaders say they had to make changes because the City of Birmingham doesn’t pay enough to cover the cost of its current service.
Several riders who spoke at the transit board meeting say the cuts will make it difficult for them to get to work.
BJCTA Executive Director Frank Martin says the transit authority “will try to minimize the impact of the service modifications to affect as few of our passengers as possible.”
Martin says one option could be a digital app that allows people to schedule rides on smaller buses or vans. The transit system will begin testing that service in Mountain Brook in a few weeks, he says.
Greg Roddy, president of the local transit union, asked the board to try again to negotiate for more money from Birmingham.
“They’re forgetting about the people in public transit,” Roddy says.
Britain gets a defense boost aimed at sending a message to Russia, and to Trump
Like other NATO members, the U.K. has been reassessing its defense spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Another sign of Syria’s rebuilding: The Damascus stock exchange opens again
The stock exchange had closed during the chaotic days leading up to the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.
Top Trump officials visit prolific Alaska oil field amid push to expand drilling
President Donald Trump wants to double the amount of oil coursing through Alaska's vast pipeline system and build a massive natural gas project, a top administration official said Monday.
Trump is pushing Senate GOP to get his megabill across the finish line
President Trump is gearing up for what a senior White House official said will be an "all-out advocacy effort" to push Republican senators to advance the bill their House colleagues passed last month.
Do you sing to your baby? NPR wants to know what songs you sing
A new study from Yale University finds that singing to babies improves their overall mood. NPR wants to know what songs our listeners sing to their babies.
A runway under construction at Newark’s beleaguered airport reopens early
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised airport officials, unions and workers for completing the estimated 60-day project 13 days early. The Newark airport has been hobbled by delays.
