News

HELENA, Alabama -- Helena Mayor Mark Hall is pursuing a state grant that would help pay for needed improvements on Helena Road to help traffic congestion at the route's intersection with Shelby County roads 17 and 52.

The City Council at its meeting Monday night authorized Hall to proceed with the grant application through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program. Hall estimated the project would cost upwards of $150,000 and require the city to contribute a 20 percent match, at about $30,000.

The funding would pay for construction of a dedicated lane on Helena Road, also known as Highway 261, for traffic to flow through the intersection to County Road 91 that leads to the new Helena High School. It would also fund construction of a dedicated left-turn lane on Helena Road.

"That could give us as much as a 50 percent reduction in congestion from that lane - not in the entire intersection," Hall said. "From 4:30 to 6:30 (in the afternoons), traffic backs up there heavily onto Helena Road. The studies indicate this would help alleviate a lot of that congestion coming off Helena Road."

Helena Road at the intersection has a dedicated right-turn lane but a combined lane to turn left or cross over to County Road 91.

With the project, "that will keep traffic moving a little more freely. That will give us a dedicated right turn, a dedicated left turn and a through lane coming from Helena Road," Hall said.

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham studied traffic impacts around the main intersections in Helena, "primarily with new traffic that will spin off the new high school," he said.

Helena Road's intersection that has a Zaxby's restaurant and Publix shopping center offered a "fairly simple redesign," he said. "It would take very little widening of that intersection."

Hall expects to hear a response in the coming months. "That doesn't mean we will get the money. It's all up to the funding requests. They look at the need, and we feel there is a need," he said.

via AL.COM

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A program aimed at keeping the elderly or disabled people out of nursing homes by providing services in the home or communities has 175 slots open in Jefferson County until Sept. 30.

To be eligible for the Medicaid Waiver, one must receive Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) or have a monthly income less than $2,130. Also an eligible person cannot have resources in excess of $2,000, according to a news release by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, which administers the program.

The qualifying individual must meet the criteria for nursing facility level of care.

"Though the primary physician will be involved, an initial referral for someone that may qualify for services can come from anyone, even the individual that may benefit from the services," Lindsey G. West, deputy director of operations at the commission, said in the release.

For more information on eligibility requirements, the admission process and services, go to www.rpcgb.org/health/medicaid-waiver.

To contact the office directly, call (205) 623-3551.

Medicaid Waiver is a program of the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and the Alabama Medicaid Agency.

via AL.COM

Tired of sitting in traffic on Birmingham's crowded corridors? Think you have a plan that could make it better?

If so, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham has launched a new website seeking your feedback.

The organization has launched the Think Forward 2040 site, which is talk.thinkforward2040.com. It will be used to gather community input and ideas for Birmingham's next regional transportation plan - in addition to feedback about sustainable growth initiatives for the six-county metro area.

"We are excited to try this new platform which will to give our communities more of a voice in the planning process," says Charles Ball, executive director of RPCGB. "This will give us the opportunity to shape the Regional Transportation Plan with more community feedback and a higher level of engagement."

The site, developed by MindMixer, will be used to collect feedback on proposals and also solicit ideas that can be used in the plan.

Visit the Mindmixer site

Visit the Think Forward 2040 website

via Birmingham Business Journal

Mayor Jon Graham

Mayor Graham has been a life-long resident of Calera. His roots date back to the 1950's, when his grandparents purchased a farm in Calera. Mayor Graham remembers visiting his grandparent's farm "in the country" throughout his childhood before finally calling it his home. A graduate of Calera High School and the University of Montevallo, Mayor Graham resides in Calera with his wife and 3 boys.

Over the last 12 years, the population of Calera has grown almost 200%. We are now pushing 12,000 in population and continuing to grow. Growth is a good thing. With growth comes demand. Last year we sold nearly 100 new residential building permits, and the year before we sold 130. With those numbers, it makes Calera more attractive to buyers and especially to young couples who are just starting out. Housing is very affordable and we are seeing an influx of buyers looking to relocate outside of metropolitan Birmingham.

Mayor Graham on Current Projects: We are currently underway with highway improvements on our south most exit off of Interstate 65. We are making changes to improve the safety of drivers who are getting on I-65 at the 228 exit. At the 231 exit off I-65, we have a two lane bridge that needs to be widened, which is a thoroughfare for Highway 31. It is our number one clogged artery, and we are hoping for a 7 lane bridge to be put in at that exit. It is the central route for our city. It is used by police, fire and emergency vehicles and when it is congested it makes it really tough for these guys to get from the east to the west end of Calera. It is inconvenient and a safety issue that we are working to improve.

In downtown Calera we have the intersection of 2 major highways along with the intersection of Norfolk Southern and CSX railways. We are at the crossroads and center of Alabama and with these current improvements, I believe Calera has a bright future.
We are an industrial city. We have plenty of places to work. We've got lime plants and quarry's that are located in the Calera area. We have a great residential area. We are looking to get some retail stores here, such as Academy Sports and Outdoors or Sam's Club, and it wouldn't hurt to have a few more restaurants.

Calera is currently overseeing the construction of a 58-acre sports complex that will be adjacent to the high school. We will have youth and high school soccer, football, baseball and softball fields. We will also have tennis courts. This park will accommodate a lot of people. Back in 2005, the vision of this sports complex came about in partnership with a local lime quarry who will be our local match for the park. Through much deliberation and in order for the city to fund the remainder of the cost of the park, we are raising sales tax one cent on the dollar. It will start June 1, and all funds generated will be spent on capital improvements such as the sports complex, roads, and infrastructure.
Mayor Graham speaks about his biggest challenge as Mayor: The economy. The budget shrunk about 3 million dollars. We have taken necessary measures to make all cuts we can, we've streamlined operations and have been able to stay within budget. This is very important for the growth of Calera, and I vow not to go in the red.

Mayor Graham speaks about his hard-working staff: I have a great staff. I have several department heads that are key in day-to-day operations and the overall budget. In the city, we have our own water treatment facilities, we have sewer, natural gas, park and recreation and a city library. It takes all of the employees to make this happen. I am very proud of our employees. We work well together and I think we have a great team. I can't be any better than the people who work around me, therefore I try to surround myself with good people. I think I have the best City Clerk in the region, she does a great job. We get the job done!

Mayor Graham has a few accomplishments he would like to complete: I have a couple of goals to complete this term. Improving road infrastructure is a big deal to me. Roads give people convenience. I am very keen on our schools. I do everything I can to support our schools. Calera wants to do its part in supporting the schools in any way possible. I believe focusing on road infrastructure, education, and park and recreation; you give people a reason to live in a community.

Mayor Graham's Biggest influence: I have been influenced by many people. I am very close to our State Representative Mike Hill and Senator Cam Ward. Mike Hill has been a mentor to me in politics, but I have been impressed by numerous people. I have many close friends that are mentors. Through Calera Baptist Church, I have many friends that are very supportive. My wife is very dedicated, and I rank her second to none. She has been so helpful and supportive. Growing up, I worked in my father's salvage yard. I was a junk-yard dog. I never imagined myself in this position. Now, my brother and I proudly own and operate Grahams Automotive Inc. I still find myself in awe when I see my name or picture in the paper. My wife and I prayed about how I could lead this city, and this opportunity has truly been a blessing. I am trying to just take it one step at a time.

The RPCGB, along with its consultant team led by Atkins, conducted a Roundtable Meeting at the Birmingham Crossplex Center on Saturday morning, May 11 to present important study recommendations for quality transit service and for revitalizing neighborhoods and communities. The meeting was moderated by Darrell Howard, RPCGB Deputy Director of Planning.

The meeting opened with a keynote presentation by Ann Dawson August, Executive Director of the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, who spoke to the prospects of building a better transit system for Birmingham. Next was a presentation highlighting the study recommendations, including a forward-looking video that detailed the transit and land use vision for the corridor.

Following the presentation was the focus of the Roundtable Meeting, a session in which the meeting participants expressed their views about the study findings and their perspectives and questions about the corridor. Comments were supportive of moving forward on proposals for transit and land use, and for the recommendation to establish a Corridor Coalition whose members would be the corridor cities and supporting agencies. After the public comment session, a Mayor's Panel was convened. The panel members were Mayor William Bell - Birmingham, Mayor Kenneth Gulley - Bessemer, Mayor Barbara Watkins - Brighton, and William Baylor - Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Midfield, who spoke to the importance of better transit, economic development, and working together for a better future. They all expressed commitment to supporting the Corridor Coalition concept.

The project video detailed features of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit service operating between downtown and the Academy Drive area, mostly along US 11 Bessemer Super Highway, with 25 proposed station locations. There would also be two Commuter Express routes operating along I-20/59 from downtown to park-and-ride lots at the Bessemer interchange (18th St. N and 19th St. N), the Academy Drive interchange, and at the Promenade Mall on I-459 at Eastern Valley Drive. There would also be two new transit Super Stops at Five Points West and downtown Bessemer, providing a transfer point between the different transit services. The land use recommendations focused on transit-oriented development, building on the existing corridor nodes at Princeton Baptist Hospital, Five Points West, Aronov Drive, Downtown Bessemer, and South Bessemer near Academy Drive. Redevelopment would also be encouraged at other station locations such as Midfield near the High Line trail crossing and at the confluence of Bessemer, Brighton, and Lipscomb, at Harmer St./5th St. N.

These study recommendations were developed by listening to the corridor interests - the public and civic leaders - over the course of four interactive rounds of community forums and the results of further technical analyses and strategy development.

The next steps include setting up an organizational meeting for the Corridor Coalition, an ongoing committee forum for prioritizing, funding, and implementing study recommendations. The Roundtable Meeting video and handouts will be posted on the study website as soon as possible. For additional information, please visit the project website at www.swcorridor.org, or contact Darrell L. Howard, the Southwest Corridor Transit Study's project manager, at Dhoward@rpcgb.org.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Improved transit can be the catalyst for tapping unrealized economic potential along the Bessemer Super Highway corridor, a study recommends.

City leaders in communities along the corridor agreed changes would spur development, but said they likely would need cooperation from the state to help with implementation costs.

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham assembled transit and municipal officials Saturday at the Birmingham Crossplex Center to discuss results of the Southwest Corridor Transit Study with the public.

The study, funded by the Federal Transit Administration, looks at a two- to three-mile-wide swath tracing U.S. 11 for 22 miles from downtown Birmingham through Midfield, Lipscomb, Bessemer and western Jefferson County to the Bibb County line.

The corridor contains about 138,000 people and 40,000 jobs with the highest transit ridership rates in the region.

The study calls for bus rapid transit, commuter express routes and park-and-ride lots along the once robust corridor, which has experienced decline due to economic and population changes.

Such transit developments can attract investment, reviving and enhancing residential, retail and office space said Jack Schnettler, vice president of Atkins, Inc., the lead consultants on the corridor study.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The route would feature buses running every 10 to 15 minutes during peak hours with 25 stops. Traffic signals would be prioritized to serve the buses to keep them moving on schedule.

If implemented, the improvements would use existing roads and tie in with other public transit routes, Schnettler said.

Schnettler said bus rapid transit has emerged as generally more flexible and less expensive to build than light rail, which he said can cost on average about $50 million per mile.

NEXT STEPS

Schnettler suggested communities along the corridor put the study's recommendations into action by forming a "corridor coalition."

The group would meet regularly to keep dialogue going through the long-term process, prioritizing issues and strategies.

"That's very attractive in pursuing grants from federal agencies or foundations or other sources because they see communities working together," Schnettler said.

Other financial tools that could be used are special types of districts such as redevelopment areas, zoning designations and tax increment financing, he said.

TRANSIT ON BOARD

The recommendations are in line with the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority's goals, executive director Ann Dawson-August said during remarks at Saturday's meeting.

Dawson-August, who arrived in October, said the transit authority is working to replace outdated buses and making needed improvements in employee training and technology for better service. BJCTA also continues to collaborate with the city on building a new intermodal terminal.

The Southwest Corridor study recommends the kind of mobility options and connectivity that will further upgrade and modernize transit authority operations, August said.

The transit authority would like to change its "hub-and-spoke" service and incorporate more shuttles and other commuter services which are more cost-effective for commuters, she said.

"We know public transit is not a one size fits all, but if you only drive your car to work and park it, maybe you could take our services once or twice a week," August said.

WORKING TOGETHER

City leaders along the corridor voiced approval of the study. They said public transit is important to the area's future but acknowledging challenges.

William Baylor, executive assistant to Midfield Mayor Gary Richardson, said the proposal would give many residents access to jobs, schools and higher education they've not had in the past. That is a reason Brighton Mayor Barbara Watkins said young people have left her city.

Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley said inadequate transit means opportunity bypasses many residents when jobs are created.

"We have the economics coming into the city, but unfortunately, we are experiencing a great challenge in getting the people to the jobs," Gulley said.

Metro Birmingham's historic divisions have caused the region's public transit system to lag behind its peer cities as people don't realize transit's economic impact, Birmingham Mayor William Bell said.

Moving beyond the view of public transit as only for lower income residents will be important in implementing the study's recommendations, Bell said.

"In reality, it's a method for all of us to connect jobs and connect opportunities with homes," Bell said.

An obstacle, the officials agreed, would be funding any improvements.

Baylor, Bell and Gulley called on the Alabama Legislature to see that the corridor study is a viable concept with broad community support and cooperation that deserves final resources to assist the plan.

"I think that it gives us a great opportunity on the national level to receive funding because it's cities standing together in a very unique way," Baylor said.

via AL.COM

The state has allocated more than $11 million for restoration projects in Bibb and Chilton counties as part of a statewide road improvement initiative.

Through the Rural Assistance Match Program and the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, the state announced Monday 254 new bridge and road projects in rural areas across the state.

Bibb County will undergo seven road resurfacing projects totaling $6,525,000, and Chilton County will receive $5,080,635 in funding for nine bridge replacement projects.

Bibb and Chilton were the only two counties in metro Birmingham with projects in Monday's announcement from Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.

After the announcement of the new projects, all 67 counties have now received ATRIP projects since the program was established by Bentley in 2012.

via Birmingham Business Journal

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Transit advocates, experts and municipal officials Saturday will gather to discuss a regional study to improve conditions in southwestern Jefferson County.

They all agree there's a problem, and the summit will bring together officials to outline specific challenges and possible solutions.

The event will outline goals of the Southwest Corridor Transit Study, a Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham project to explore strategies to improve mass transit in Midfield, Fairfield, Bessemer, Lipscomb, Brighton and Birmingham.

The corridor study area includes Bessemer Superhighway, extending more than 22 miles to the Tuscaloosa County line.

Saturday's meeting is 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Birmigham's Crossplex. It is open to the public, and will feature Ann Dawson August, executive director for Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority. Other participants will include mayors and officials from Lipscomb, Midfield, Brighton and Bessemer.

"This event is all about gathering the community and transit experts to receive recommendations for moving transit forward along the southwest corridor," said Darrell Howard, RPC deputy director of planning. "We've hired experts from Atkins North America to study the corridor for two years. Their recommendations are bold, and very realistic if we all work together."

The project is funded by a $1.1 million Federal Transit Administration grant. The study began in 2011 and is expected to conclude this summer. The plan will also evaluate land use and economic development along the corridor.

Howard likened the transit study process to the ongoing development of Birmingham's comprehensive plan.

"We also looked at different transit alternatives, hence the name alternatives analysis, to find which one best fit the corridor," Howard said."This included light rail and commuter rail. We settled on bus rapid transit and express services as being feasible."

via AL.COM

GARDENDALE, Alabama - Gardendale city leaders announced the City Center project is under agreement with a developer, during the City Council meeting Monday night.

"We have entered into an agreement with a developer for the entire City Center property," Council President Stan Hogeland told the public Monday. "He has an option on this for 45 days, and we cannot announce anything that's coming yet. But we're excited about the possibilities."

Hogeland said the developer is trying to market the spaces to tenants during the 45-day period.

In 2011, Gardendale purchased the former Caufield Square development for $1.55 million to build the City Center on its 22 acres. Plans for the development include City Hall and a greenway area. The remainder of the property, which the developer is looking to lease, is slated for retail, restaurants, offices and entertainment. City leaders have said they hope the City Center will include a hotel and movie theatre. The first business to purchase a parcel was Buffalo Wild Wings, which opened in January.

The council also authorized an agreement to purchase the property located at 100 Bell Street. A vacant house sits on the property, which is about 4.39 acres. The property is located near the Senior Center and the Civic Center. Hogeland said the city has made an offer on the site in hopes of expanding civic property.

In other business, the council:

• Approved resolutions granting agreements with the Alabama Department of Transportation for the city's ATRIP projects. Hogeland said paving on Fieldstown Road from Thompson Street to Jew Hollow Road is expected to begin in June;

• Granted Retail Beer: Off-Premises Only and Retail Table Wine: Off-Premises Only alcohol licenses to Raceway Store 6820, which is under new ownership;

• Hired Lawrence Smith as a part-time housekeeper at the Gardendale Public Library;

• Granted a request from East Gardendale Baptist Church to hold a parade to kick-off vacation bible school.

• Authorized an agreement with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to develop a comprehensive plan of existing conditions within the city of Gardendale;

• Authorized an agreement with Transaction One for electronic payment processing through Visa/Mastercard for the Inspection Services Department;

• Accepted a bid from and authorized an agreement with C4 Creative, LLC to promote the city through multimedia; and

• Authorized the purchase of a 2013 Dodge Durango truck for the Fire Department;

via AL.COM

After nearly a year of planning, Pop-Up Project will be here on Saturday, May 4th from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and PNC Bank are teaming up with other local groups to promote community revitalization by way of tactical urbanism. The goal of Pop-Up Projects is to create community efforts that will encourage bike and pedestrian friendly streets, promote healthy lifestyles and boost economic development. This will be a day full of activities in a "car-free zone". Temporary bike lines will be installed and roads will be blocked for the day to encourage people to walk or ride their bikes. Vendors will be on hand in Pop-Up Shops, fun temporary store fronts, for the day. There will be live music, a pop-up art park, bike rodeo, bike rides for both skilled cyclists and beginners and other activities including Zumba, Middle Eastern Dancing and Yoga. Pop-Up Project is a collaborative effort with RPCGB, PNC Bank, REV Birmingham, The United Way, Space One Eleven and a host of other organizations.

Thanks to the official sponsor of Pop-Up Project 2013, PNC Bank!

Visit popupprojectal.com for more details and stay tuned to the project's Facebook for daily updates!