Announcements, News Releases
BIRMINGHAM-JEFFERSON COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES
SUCCESSFUL NATIONAL GET ON BOARD DAY
Birmingham, AL (April 30, 2019) – Last Thursday, April 25th, transit systems across the country, including the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, celebrated “National Get On Board Day.” The day is set aside by the American Public Transportation Association to commemorate the value and benefit of public transportation to communities.
To encourage new riders to use public transit through the MAX system and to thank current riders, all fares were waived on April 25th. This led to an increase of 7.6% in BJCTA riders. “We suffered a very rainy afternoon on Thursday, and we believe based on data from other rainy days in the month of April, that if it had been sunny, our ridership would have risen more than 10% percent”, said Frank T. Martin, Interim Executive Director at BJCTA.
In addition to the free fares, a celebration was held at BJCTA Central Station with music, free food and prizes.
“We are thrilled that so many people chose National Get On Board Day as a time to give public transportation a try,” said Martin. “There are so many advantages for utilizing public transportation, to both the community at large and the individual. It stimulates economic development, saves money for the rider and is a greener option for transportation. A healthy public transportation system is part and parcel for a thriving community.”
For every dollar invested in public transportation, it generates four dollars in economic return. Communities with a healthy public transportation system reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually and save the United States 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority is the public transportation leader in Central Alabama. The Authority averages three million riders per year with more than 300 employees. For more information, visit www.maxtransit.org.
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