Transit cuts and housing concerns draw public comment; council asks for review of BJCTA changes

Residents and neighborhood leaders used public comment during the Dec. 30 council meeting to press the city on transit service reductions and housing displacements.

Will Jones, president of the 5 Points Neighborhood Association, praised the city’s Birmingham On Demand program but urged officials to reverse an announced reduction in service by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA). "If there is any way that that could be reversed... I will enthusiastically help," Jones said, asking the council and administration to explore options to restore service for residents who rely on the program.

Councilor Williams responded, saying he had concerns about an email from the transit authority announcing the reduction and noting the city had recently increased BJCTA’s budget. "We passed the largest budget that they have ever had from the city, and then they pull back the service only to the city of Birmingham," Williams said, and asked the administration to look into the matter jointly with councilors.

Rob Walker, president of the Eastlake Community neighborhood association, raised separate housing concerns, saying the Love Lady Center purchased an apartment complex and is displacing long-term residents with short moving allowances and limited neighborhood engagement. He asked the council to consider neighborhood impacts, noting proximity to a school and the need for community consultation.

The council did not take immediate policy action but recorded requests that staff and the administration examine BJCTA service changes and neighborhood housing impacts.