Birmingham, Ala. – On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the Birmingham Department of Transportation (BDOT) will host a Transportation Town Hall at Boutwell Auditorium to unveil its Multimodal Transportation Plan, a project that has been in development for a year.
Plan preview and community input
Deputy Director of Strategic Projects Christina Argo told reporters the event will give residents a first look at the department’s preliminary recommendations. “It’s really a chance for us to share what we’ve heard and to share some of our preliminary recommendations,” Argo said. “We’re going to showcase the work, give everybody a little preview before the actual plan comes out.”
The town hall will run from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. with an open‑house format, followed by a panel discussion at 6 p.m. featuring Mayor Randall Woodfin, James Fowler, chief of the city’s Office of Public Infrastructure, and Charlotte Shaw, executive director and CEO of Birmingham‑Jefferson County Transit Authority.
Shifting focus from cars to people
Argo emphasized that the plan marks a cultural shift for Birmingham. “Typically, a lot of cities across the country, Birmingham included, have really prioritized cars over people,” she said. “This part is a really big change in how we are approaching transportation in Birmingham — prioritizing people, which means giving folks better access, more choices. If you don’t have a car, you should have choices on how you get to where you need to get.”
The department plans to display district maps that outline specific projects, allowing attendees to see proposed bike lanes, pedestrian pathways, bus route enhancements and signal upgrades. Residents will be able to submit comments via paper forms, a QR‑code‑linked digital portal, or in‑person questions during the allotted feedback period.
Engaging the next generation
In addition to the public session, BDOT will host a separate conversation with high‑school and college students, moderated by T. Marie King. “We’re going to have leadership interact with local students – high school and college students – to be able to have a conversation with city leaders,” Argo explained. “Projects take a long time to pull off … so a lot of the work we’re doing now is really going to benefit the next generation.”
Addressing historic stigma
Argo acknowledged that public‑transportation usage in the South has long carried a stigma. “Especially in the South, there’s a stigma around if you have to use public transportation,” she said. “That means (it is believed) you’re a certain class of citizen, right? It’s not that way in other cities, but they also have options that really make it doable and convenient.” She added that the plan aims to change that perception by providing infrastructure that makes walking, biking or riding a bus a viable daily choice.
Learning from peer cities
The department cited examples from Nashville and Memphis. Nashville’s new mayor has launched a “Choose How You Move” initiative that invests billions in signal timing, public‑transport upgrades and pedestrian safety. Memphis’s mayor is pursuing a goal to become the most bike‑friendly city in the Southeast. “A lot of our peer cities are really looking at transportation as an opportunity this way,” Argo said.
How to participate
Anyone interested can attend the open house at 5 p.m., view the project maps, and submit feedback. The digital feedback option can be accessed by scanning the QR code displayed at the venue. All comments will be incorporated into the final plan, which BDOT expects to release later this year.
More information about the town hall and the transportation plan is available on the goBHM website.
Original reporting: BirminghamWatch — read the source article.
