US 280 Transit Corridor Study

RS&H conducted a transit corridor study for US 280 to develop an overall plan to improve mobility in the area for the short- and long-term. The more than 35-mile corridor travels through Jefferson and Shelby counties and has developed rapidly over the past 20 years. In some places, it is the most congested roadway in the entire Birmingham metropolitan planning area and state of Alabama.

The study examined a range of public transportation alternatives to improve travel along US 280, as well as options for expanding roadway capacity in some key locations, making the corridor more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly, and improving safety and access in the corridor. Project activities included an assessment of existing and future conditions, multiple public workshops, development and evaluation of transportation and land-use scenarios, and developing an integrated transportation and land-use plan.

The first phase of the study included an assessment of the existing conditions and related needs of the US 280 corridor. RS&H collected and analyzed transportation, land-use, development, environmental, and community data in the corridor. Using this information, the team developed a range of potential future transportation and land-use scenarios that will address future mobility needs. The options included enhancement of local bus service, premium bus service with queue jump lanes, premium bus service with two managed lanes in each direction, and bus rapid transit. All options were designed to connect to key locations in downtown Birmingham and the University of Alabama Birmingham areas. In addition, RS&H modeled and analyzed land-use alternatives as part of the study.

A Project Stakeholder Committee, with representatives from each local community, the two counties, the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, and other key stakeholders helped guide the project by providing input into the study’s findings and recommendations.