November 7, 2022 (BIRMINGHAM, AL) — On Monday, November 7, the City of Birmingham will expand its tech-enabled shared ride service, Birmingham On-Demand, to include 19 new neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city.
To incentivize community members to try the East Side zone, new riders will automatically get 10 free rides through the end of the year. Birmingham On-Demand will also be providing free rides to all riders on Election Day (Tuesday, November 8).
Birmingham On-Demand is a flexible public transit service that has served more than 130,000 riders in the original downtown zone since its launch in February 2019. As a result of its success, the City is launching a new East Side zone, which now serves the following neighborhoods: Huffman, Roebuck, Roebuck Springs, South Roebuck, Zion City, North East Lake, South East Lake, Wahouma, Woodlawn, South Woodlawn, Gate City, Airport Highlands, Brownsville Heights, Pine Knoll Vista, Echo Highlands, Penfield Park, Maple Grove, Killough Springs, and Spring Lake. The original downtown zone will continue operating as usual.
Birmingham On-Demand allows anyone within its coverage zones to book a shared ride at a moment’s notice through an app (available in the App Store and Google Play) or by calling 205-236-0768. It uses innovative technology from Via, the global leader in TransitTech, to match riders headed in the same direction into one vehicle, creating efficient shared trips that complement the city’s fixed-route transit options. Rides cost a flat fee of $1.50.
The new East Side Zone neighborhoods were based on an analysis of demographic data and transit needs to determine the areas where equitable, accessible mobility will make the greatest impact. In the original zone, 50% of riders reported their annual household income as less than $25,000, 66% do not have a personal car, and most use the service to get to essential destinations like work, grocery stores, and medical facilities.
For more information on Birmingham On-Demand, please visit the FAQ website here. Those interested in driving for the service can apply here.
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About Via:
Founded in 2012, Via pioneered the TransitTech category by using new technologies to develop public mobility systems — optimizing networks of buses, shuttles, wheelchair accessible vehicles, school buses, autonomous vehicles, and electric vehicles around the globe. Building the world’s most efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation network for all riders — including those with limited mobility, those without smartphones, and unbanked populations — Via works with its partners to lower the costs of public transit while providing transportation options that rival the convenience of a personal car while reducing the environmental impact. At the intersection of transportation and technology, Via is a visionary market leader that combines software innovation with sophisticated service design and operational expertise to fundamentally improve the way the world moves, providing technology in 600 communities and more than 35 countries and counting.