Public transportation in the Rocket City: Huntsville Transit wants your input

If you have opinions on the services offered by Huntsville Transit, now is the time to speak up. Because the department announced Monday that it plans to seek input from a consulting firm as well as the public as part of an update of its Transit Improvement Plan.

The City Council authorized Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into an agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. to assist with the plan update.

Make your voice heard and your suggestions known

The City of Huntsville will cover 20 percent of the cost of the $100,000 contract, with the remainder paid using federal transit planning funds.

As part of the agreement, the firm will set up public listening sessions, tentatively planned for June and September. Nelson\Nygaard will also look at 2020 census data as well as demographic development changes since 2019.

“We’ll gauge members of the public on their needs and what they’d like to see. Based on the feedback, we’ll evaluate different alternatives and start working toward a final plan that will be completed in early 2023.”

Quisha Bryant, director of Parking and Transportation, City of Huntsville

All suggestions welcome, most will be implemented

Bryant said the process should yield recommendations that could be reasonably implemented by Huntsville Transit, including an increased focus on safety, security, convenience and efficiency. Huntsville Transit addressed the convenience issue earlier this year when it launched Token Transit, a touchless fare product available as a smartphone app.

All suggestions are welcome, in essence.

“If we better serve our existing riders, ridership will go up,” Bryant said.

The dates and locations of the public input sessions will be announced later, but in plenty of time to plan for the meetings.

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