The city of Birmingham plans to launch the Birmingham Xpress—a $48 million high-capacity bus transit system—in 2022.

The new, 10-mile bus system, which will be built by the city but operated by the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, will connect west and east Birmingham to the jobs, healthcare and other resources available in the city center.

City officials had talked about trying to launch the service in time for the 2021 World Games.

“The idea is to connect people to opportunities to connect underserved communities on both east and west sides of downtown to all the growth and the job centers that are downtown,” said James Fowler, director of the Birmingham Department of Transportation. “So, in order to make the best decisions for the project, we want to take our time and make sure we’re studying what other cities are doing and make each decision very intentionally. So, we’re going back to the original schedule. We were having to accelerate a lot of decisions that are important weighty decisions for the rapid transit system. This system is going to be in place for the next 40 years.”

The 10-mile route will travel from Woodlawn Transit Center on First Avenue North between 56th and 57th Street to the Crossplex Transit Center at the intersection of Avenue W and 47th Street Ensley. City officials say it will connect 25 neighborhoods. The service is expected to operate in 15-minute intervals during peak periods, 30 minutes during off peak and weekends.

In August, the city council approved a $9 million purchase of 15 buses for Birmingham Xpress. In initial public discussions about the buses, officials said 60-foot buses would be used. Now, Fowler said the buses will be 40 feet, the same as large MAX Transit buses.

Additionally, all the platforms will be curbside. Officials had discussed having some median platforms, but ultimately decided curbside would be best.

The buses and platforms will be a different than the MAX Transit buses. The floor of the buses will be flush with the platforms, making it easier for wheelchair users to get on and off the bus.

The $48 million project is funded by a $20 million grant from the Federal Transportation Administration and a matching $20 million from the City of Birmingham. The remaining expense should be covered by a number of smaller grants, Fowler said.

Fowler said the construction of the Woodlawn and Five Points West terminals should begin construction around Fall 2020.

More information about the project can be found on the city website.