Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) is the public transportation operator in the city of Birmingham, Alabama and surrounding areas. Created in 1972 to take over transit operations from private operators, it operates 109 buses on 38 routes. It also operates paratransit services, as well as micro transit services.[4] In 2023, the system had 1,792,000 rides, or about 7,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.
Alabama does not provide state support for public transit, and so the funding for and service provided by BJCTA is less than other cities of equivalent size.[3] This contributes to Alabama's status as the state with the highest per capita gasoline consumption.[3]
General information
BJCTA operated under the branding MAX, or Metro Area Express.(BJCTA)
BJCTA provides fixed route and paratransit service to a service area of more than 200 square miles with a demand population base of nearly 400,000. The service area includes Birmingham, Bessemer, Fairfield, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and Vestavia Hills. BJCTA carries out its commitment to air quality and pollution control by operating only CNG buses.
BJCTA Hours of Operation
Buses
Monday – Friday
4:00 A.M. – 11:30 P.M. (CST)
Weekend & Holidays
4:00 A.M. – 12:00 A.M. (CST)
No Sunday service.
Free – Kids below 5 with fare-paying rider (limit 3)
Paratransit (VIP) Hours of Operation
Buses/Vans
Monday – Friday
5:00 A.M. – 10:00 P.M. (CST)
Paratransit Service is a shared-ride service using both Buses and Vans to accommodate its customer.
No Sunday service for VIP/Paratransit.
Central Station serves as the primary transfer hub for the BJCTA system. It is located adjacent to the Amtrak station on Morris Ave. The original Central Station was built in 1999 on the site and demolished in 2015 to make way for the current facility.[5] The $32 million project commenced in 2014.[6] Construction was completed in 2017 with Max Transit buses beginning service on June 19th and a ribbon cutting on June 30.[7] The transit center contains an approximately 300 space parking lot, an indoor waiting area, and a cafe. As of 2024, it serves Max Transit, although it was intended to serve Megabus and Greyhound intercity buses too.[8]
Fixed routes
1 South Bessemer/UAB Medical West/Wal-Mart
3 Jefferson/Wenonah
5 Ensley/Wylam
6 Pratt/Ensley
12 Highland Avenue
14 Palisades/Barbara Court
17 Century Plaza/Eastwood Mall
18 Fountain Heights
20 Zion City/Airport
22 Tarrant City/Inglenook
23 North Birmingham/Collegeville
25 Center Point/Jefferson State
26 Jefferson State
31 Hwy 31 Limited Stop
38 Graymont/Ensley
39 Homewood/Wildwood
45 Bessemer/Jonesboro
45 Express/Western Hills Mall
48 South Powderly
91 East/West Dart
95 Westend Shuttle
96 Titusville Shuttle
280 Hwy 280 Limited Stop
Airport Shuttle
Beginning in December 2015, BJCTA introduced two new express Airport Shuttle routes from downtown Birmingham hotels directly to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. One bus serves Northside hotels and the other bus serves Southside hotel. The Airport Shuttle routes operate hourly on Mondays through Saturdays and the fare is $5.00.
Birmingham Xpress
A bus rapid transit line, named the Birmingham Xpress, was opened on September 22, 2022, running from Woodlawn to Five Points.[9] The service will speed up journeys by offering dedicated lanes, transit signal priority, off-board fare payment and level boarding.[10] The Birmingham Xpress was set up with funds from the federal government under the Presidency of Joe Biden. It did not receive state funds, because Alabama does not provide state funds for public transit. It has 32 stops across an east-west corridor across the city. After starting service, it quickly became the most utilized route in the BJCTA system.[3]
Fleet
56 standard buses
43 Orion VII CNG LF buses
22 paratransit buses
Fixed route ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[11]
