Huntsville Transit to solicit input from the public as part of plan update

Published on April 14, 2022

Huntsville Transit 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 on Thursday authorized Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into an agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. to assist with the plan update. The City will cover only 20% 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,” said Quisha Bryant, Director of Parking and Public Transportation. “Based on the feedback, we’ll evaluate different alternatives and start working toward a final plan that will be completed in early 2023.”

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 added a layer of convenience earlier this year when it launched Token Transit, a touchless fare product available as a smartphone app.

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