Birmingham Council OKs Extra Funds For Bus Rapid Transit System
A rendering of the Birmingham Xpress bus rapid transit station planned for Five Points West
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to approve using $18 million in American Rescue Plan funds to cover unexpected extra costs in construction of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit System.
The BRT project, which will create a 10-mile, higher-speed public transit corridor through 25 neighborhoods, broke ground in December. But last week, Charlotte Shaw, the city’s deputy director of capital projects, told councilors that the project had run into rising costs in the construction industry — a “perfect storm” resulting from COVID-19’s strain on the market. Even with significant cuts, she said, the city would need at least $14 million more to complete the BRT, which originally had been budgeted for $45.8 million.
Councilors, arguing that it was important to fund the project “in its entirety,” pledged last week to contribute $18 million from the city’s general fund balance, which in turn would be replenished by funding from the American Rescue Plan.
But by the time an official vote was called for on Tuesday, the situation had changed. Chaz Mitchell, Mayor Randall Woodfin’s deputy chief of operations, told councilors that federal guidelines prevented ARP dollars from going toward infrastructure projects paid for out of the city’s general or rainy day funds.
Instead, the council voted to designate $42.6 million from the city’s state and local fiscal recovery fund toward “revenue loss recovery,” which would include the extra $18 million needed for the BRT project as well as an additional $24.6 million, which will be the subject of later negotiations between the mayor and council.
“Taking this approach would really allow us to fund the BRT project without violating any of the interim final rules from the Treasury Department,” Mitchell said. “If we did the straight-up project out of the ARP … we’d probably get hit on our hands for doing an infrastructure project, or brick and mortar, which is not allowed under this Treasury ruling.”
The council voted unanimously to approve the additional funding.
“I’m glad we came to this decision,” said District 8 Councilor Steven Hoyt. “I think it’s wonderful … We need to be committed, and I think this commits us to doing something wonderful and something impactful for our residents … I think this is going to change one’s quality of life because these buses can get there and get there on time … I think this is going to be a game-changer. And if we can only build on this and provide the same kinds of services to other parts of the city on this level, it’s going to change the dynamics of this city.”
Shootings at school and home in British Columbia, Canada, leave 10 dead
A shooting at a school in British Columbia left seven people dead, while two more were found dead at a nearby home, authorities said. A woman who police believe to be the shooter also was killed.
Trump’s EPA plans to end a key climate pollution regulation
The Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating a Clean Air Act finding from 2009 that is the basis for much of the federal government's actions to rein in climate change.
From gifting a hat to tossing them onto the rink, a history of hat tricks in sports
Hat tricks have a rich history in hockey, but it didn't start there. For NPR's Word of the Week, we trace the term's some 150-year-history and why it's particularly special on the hockey rink.
Pam Bondi to face questions from House lawmakers about her helm of the DOJ
The attorney general's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee comes one year into her tenure, a period marked by a striking departure from traditions and norms at the Justice Department.
The U.S. claims China is conducting secret nuclear tests. Here’s what that means
The allegations were leveled by U.S. officials late last week. Arms control experts worry that norms against nuclear testing are unraveling.
Ukrainian sled racer says he will wear helmet honoring slain soldiers despite Olympic ban
Vladyslav Heraskevych, a skeleton sled racer, says he will wear a helmet showing images of Ukrainian athletes killed defending his country against Russia's full-scale invasion. International Olympic Committee officials say the move would violate rules designed to keep politics out of the Olympics.
