161 replies to this topic

[kayman]

Article from the Birmingham News

Jefferson County Commission has given the thumbs up to $1.9 million in funding for the fiscal year 2007.  The BJCTA is planning on expanding services by adding 20 new buses, 2 paratransit buses, and other capital needs.

[Blazer85]

Very good to hear... I hope they continue to expand service.  With gas prices as they are, more will probably be willing to try mass transit.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

I really like that map.  I wish that the County and the City could actually work together.  Birmingham has soooo much potential that the competition between the county and city is keeping at bay because they can't agree on ANYTHING.  I don't live in Birmingham, but I plan to live there once I'm out of college.  I would like to see mass transit expand throughout the metro area.  I can see the metro population hitting upwards of 3,000,000 within 15 years, we all know it's possible and it probably will happen.  Alabam can't keep ignoring our problems of today.  We have to start thinking of tomorrow.  I see the Huntsville-Decatur area right now just realizing that they MUST prepare for tomorrow.  Because of BRAC we have to put into use things that previously were thought of as not being needed or over the top.  Hville/Madco is finally understanding that they can go the growth alone, and that they won't be the only area affected.  Bham/Jeffco has to realize the same thing and start working together or the area is never going to get where it can go.

[kayman]

AlabamaGuy2007, on Jul 24 2006, 12:03 AM, said:

I really like that map.  I wish that the County and the City could actually work together.  Birmingham has soooo much potential that the competition between the county and city is keeping at bay because they can't agree on ANYTHING.  I don't live in Birmingham, but I plan to live there once I'm out of college.  I would like to see mass transit expand throughout the metro area.  I can see the metro population hitting upwards of 3,000,000 within 15 years, we all know it's possible and it probably will happen.  Alabam can't keep ignoring our problems of today.  We have to start thinking of tomorrow.  I see the Huntsville-Decatur area right now just realizing that they MUST prepare for tomorrow.  Because of BRAC we have to put into use things that previously were thought of as not being needed or over the top.  Hville/Madco is finally understanding that they can go the growth alone, and that they won't be the only area affected.  Bham/Jeffco has to realize the same thing and start working together or the area is never going to get where it can go.

That is true.  That is why I love the Huntsville-Decatur area because they are so progressive and thinking at the future.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

Leonard23, on Jul 24 2006, 06:49 PM, said:

That is true.  That is why I love the Huntsville-Decatur area because they are so progressive and thinking at the future.

Yea, this is the first time I've ever truely seen the governments of Hville/MadCo and Dctur/MorgCo actually working together to try and get something done instead of trying to get it to go one way or another.

[rolltider]

AlabamaGuy2007, on Jul 24 2006, 12:03 AM, said:

I can see the metro population hitting upwards of 3,000,000 within 15 years, we all know it's possible and it probably will happen.

That would be great but I honestly cannot see Bham metro reaching 1.5 million by 2020.  At the rate the area has been growing for the last 20 years we might be looking more like 1.25 million.

AlabamaGuy2007, on Jul 24 2006, 12:03 AM, said:

Bham/Jeffco has to realize the same thing and start working together or the area is never going to get where it can go.

This is very true but there has got to be a total overhaul of city hall.  We need people city and county government that truly care about the growth and of the this city and the surrounding areas.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

rolltider, on Jul 24 2006, 10:30 PM, said:

That would be great but I honestly cannot see Bham metro reaching 1.5 million by 2020.  At the rate the area has been growing for the last 20 years we might be looking more like 1.25 million.
This is very true but there has got to be a total overhaul of city hall.  We need people city and county government that truly care about the growth and of the this city and the surrounding areas.

Well, Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman has already reached 1,170,000.

[kayman]

rolltider, on Jul 24 2006, 10:30 PM, said:

That would be great but I honestly cannot see Bham metro reaching 1.5 million by 2020.  At the rate the area has been growing for the last 20 years we might be looking more like 1.25 million.
This is very true but there has got to be a total overhaul of city hall.  We need people city and county government that truly care about the growth and of the this city and the surrounding areas.

Actually, from what I'm hearing Rolltider, that is exactly what the population of Greater Birmingham is going projected to be in 2020, 1.5 million.  A matter of fact from what I'm hearing that number maybe reached even before 2020 at the rate the region is starting to grow.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

Leonard23, on Jul 25 2006, 09:12 AM, said:

Actually, from what I'm hearing Rolltider, that is exactly what the population of Greater Birmingham is going projected to be in 2020, 1.5 million.  A matter of fact from what I'm hearing that number maybe reached even before 2020 at the rate the region is starting to grow.

I think the latter of your paragraph is correct.  Cause, all of the people that go around projecting these populations don't factor in new things that are going on around the state.  But, they're not completely to blame.  They vastly underestimate Alabama, we all know it's true.

[rolltider]

Leonard23, on Jul 25 2006, 09:12 AM, said:

Actually, from what I'm hearing Rolltider, that is exactly what the population of Greater Birmingham is going projected to be in 2020, 1.5 million.  A matter of fact from what I'm hearing that number maybe reached even before 2020 at the rate the region is starting to grow.

Does that projection for the 7 county SMSA or the CMSA which includes Cullman County?  My guestimate was for only the 7 county metro.

I hope you guys are correct and I certainly agree that the growth rate seems to be accelerating.  If that continues I think the 7 county metro will reach 1.5 million by 2020.  

I also strongly believe that Jefferson County and the City of Birmingham has been significantly undercounted, maybe as much as 5 to 10%,  in the last two census.

[codyg1985]

Leonard23, on Jul 25 2006, 09:12 AM, said:

Actually, from what I'm hearing Rolltider, that is exactly what the population of Greater Birmingham is going projected to be in 2020, 1.5 million.  A matter of fact from what I'm hearing that number maybe reached even before 2020 at the rate the region is starting to grow.

I also believe that the estimates for the northwestern parts of the metro are real conservative estimates at best.  Land is cheaper up there and is become more accessible thanks to I-22 and the Northern Beltline.

Then again, there has to be a reason for more people to move into Birmingham before growth can occur in other areas of the metro.  If Birmingham somehow adds a lot of new jobs, whether it be in manufacturing, business, medicine, or government, then I could see the growth numbers to be conservative.

[AlabamaGuy2007]

rolltider, on Jul 26 2006, 03:36 PM, said:

Does that projection for the 7 county SMSA or the CMSA which includes Cullman County?  My guestimate was for only the 7 county metro.

I hope you guys are correct and I certainly agree that the growth rate seems to be accelerating.  If that continues I think the 7 county metro will reach 1.5 million by 2020.  

I also strongly believe that Jefferson County and the City of Birmingham has been significantly undercounted, maybe as much as 5 to 10%,  in the last two census.

Yea, I'm including Cullman.  I usually do, haha.  But yea, I think that the metro area with meet or exceed 1.5 million within the next 10-15 years.  At the moment it just seems like it's ONLY possible.  But, things can change rather quickly.

[kayman]

Article from The Birmingham News

Another step backwards for the region's mass transit system.  They are balking at the increase in service fees that have been requested from those cities.

[rolltider]

Leonard23, on Jul 27 2006, 09:45 AM, said:

Article from The Birmingham News

Another step backwards for the region's mass transit system.  They are balking at the increase in service fees that have been requested from those cities.

There are questions that need to be answered and as usual the News will just let them slide by.

What grant did BJCTA loose and why?  

What is the debt payment for?  Is the debt due to improvements or mismanagement?  

Why are the books in disarray?

Have the fees for the riders been increased to compensate for the increase in operations cost?

I don't know much about the BJCTA but there is something bad wrong with the transit system in this city.  It is obvious that it needs to change.  A city the size of Birmingham needs an affective transit system and with fuel prices going into the stratosphere it is more important now than ever.

We need some sort of consolidated or Metro Government.  This fragmented mess we have just does not work.

[kayman]

The mindboggling enigma of as to why Birmingham area governments make such simple things so hard is utterly dumbfounding and just reinstates in my mind we live amongst the some of the dumbest people in the world in this region.  The mass transit system BJCTA was sabotaged by Phil Gary (IMO should be prosecuted for money laundering) back in the early 1990's.  Now on that consolidated government, ain't gonna happen at least in our lifetime.  We have the idiotsavonts in this region no other to thank for that with their "No, It's mine and mine only" mentality.

Edited by Leonard23, 28 July 2006 - 07:40 PM.

[kayman]

Here is something interesting article about the problems of the current funding of mass transit in the area:

An insane way to fund transit

[kayman]

Article from The Birmingham News

Here goes another one think about leaving MAX.  I have a feeling the bus system will shut down in the near future.

[Blazer85]

I have heard this about several wanting to get out of the MAX system, but I've also heard that MAX is looking at expanding to some other of the older suburbs closer to downtown on the eastern and western sides.

[kayman]

Another result of our lack of regional transit planning:

Parking rates in downtown lot are going up again from $70 to $75 per month starting September 1.  We need to get the wheels rolling on something to fix our situation.  I plan on getting an apartment in Park Place soon, and I ment reconsider because is ridiculous.

[kayman]

There is now a plan by all the Democratic Jefferson County delegates to lobby mass transit funding for the county before the whole legislature in 2007.

Jeffco state legislators seeks public transit funding plan

Edited by Leonard23, 18 August 2006 - 02:33 PM.