Huntsville Shuttle Bus
Encyclopedia
The Huntsville Shuttle fixed-route bus system began in 1990 in response to the
growing population and congestion of the city of Huntsville, Alabama
. The system is run by the city of Huntsville, and is funded by city and federal funds. (Alabama law prohibits state funding of public transit.)
Five Points and Lowe Mill
. The system was dismantled in the late 1940s.
In 1990, the city of Huntsville decided to form the Department of Parking and Public Transit, which included
the Shuttle. It began with two routes, the Red and Blue Core Loops which served downtown, the Medical District
and surrounding areas. By 2004, the system had expanded to ten routes and a Tourist Trolley. That year,
a new bus terminal was built at Church and Cleveland Streets near the Huntsville Depot
. In 2005, the city
began weekend evening service to the downtown and Five Points areas. In 2006, bike racks were installed on all
fifteen buses as part of the city's Greenway Master Plan.
range from 15 minutes downtown to one hour in outlying areas. Between 1,500 and 1,800 riders use the system daily. The number has steadily risen in recent years due to rising gas prices; however, while other transit systems have seen double-digit gains in ridership over the past year, the Shuttle's ridership has only grown by 5%. This prompted the city council to hire a consulting firm in August 2008 to see how the city can make the system more attractive to residents.
is planned at Bridge Street Town Centre
, a mixed-use development in Cummings Research Park
West, and will become a transit hub for the western part of the city. Other park-and-rides have been discussed, but no specific locations have been selected.
Routes to the following places have been planned/discussed for when funding becomes available:
Other long-range transit projects that have been discussed for the Huntsville area:
Madison County Courthouse, Huntsville Museum of Art
, Huntsville Hospital, Parkway Place
Mall, Huntsville Senior Center/Brahan Spring Park
Same as #1, but in reverse
University of Alabama in Huntsville
, Research Park East, Madison Square Mall
University Drive commercial area, Madison Square Mall, Perimeter Office Park
Von Braun Center
, Parkway Place Mall, Crestwood Medical Center, Huntsville Hospital Medical Mall
Von Braun Center
, Westlawn, Brahan Springs Park/Senior Center, Milton Frank Stadium
JF Drake State Technical College, Alabama A&M University, Five Points
Alabama Career Center, JF Drake State Technical College, Alabama A&M University, Five Points
The Fountain Shopping Center, Oakwood College
, Alabama Career Center
Parkway Place, Airport Road, Jones Valley, Southeast Huntsville, Joe Davis Stadium
UAH, Calhoun Community College
, Sherwood Park, Bridge Street Town Centre
, Research Park West
, Westside Pavilion (Target), University Drive
University Drive, Madison Square Mall, Research Park East
, US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden
,
Huntsville Museum of Art
, EarlyWorks, Alabama Constitution Village
, Courthouse Square
Five Points, the Medical District, the Von Braun Center
, Big Spring Park (Huntsville, Alabama)
, and various restaurants and clubs. Runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 7PM-2AM only.
growing population and congestion of the city of Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. The system is run by the city of Huntsville, and is funded by city and federal funds. (Alabama law prohibits state funding of public transit.)
History
Huntsville had a streetcar system in the early 1900s linking downtown to outlying mill villages likeFive Points and Lowe Mill
Lowe Mill
Lowe Mill is an historic old cotton mill of approximately located at 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35805.In 1900, Arthur H. Lowe of Fitchburg, Massachusetts formed Lowe Manufacturing Co, and began the building of Huntsville’s fifth textile mill...
. The system was dismantled in the late 1940s.
In 1990, the city of Huntsville decided to form the Department of Parking and Public Transit, which included
the Shuttle. It began with two routes, the Red and Blue Core Loops which served downtown, the Medical District
and surrounding areas. By 2004, the system had expanded to ten routes and a Tourist Trolley. That year,
a new bus terminal was built at Church and Cleveland Streets near the Huntsville Depot
Huntsville Depot
The Huntsville Depot located on the Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown Huntsville is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest in the United States...
. In 2005, the city
began weekend evening service to the downtown and Five Points areas. In 2006, bike racks were installed on all
fifteen buses as part of the city's Greenway Master Plan.
The system today
The Shuttle has a total of 14 routes, including 11 regular weekday routes, the Tourist Trolley Loop, which seasonally runs six days a week, and two weekend evening routes. The system keeps a fleet of 15 buses. The regular weekday routes run from 6 AM to 6 PM. The Tourist Loop runs from 7 AM to 7 PM. The weekend evening routes run from 7 PM to 2 AM on Friday and Saturday. Bus turnaroundsrange from 15 minutes downtown to one hour in outlying areas. Between 1,500 and 1,800 riders use the system daily. The number has steadily risen in recent years due to rising gas prices; however, while other transit systems have seen double-digit gains in ridership over the past year, the Shuttle's ridership has only grown by 5%. This prompted the city council to hire a consulting firm in August 2008 to see how the city can make the system more attractive to residents.
Fares
One-way:- Regular: $1
- Seniors, students with valid ID, and children: $.50
- Tourist Trolley: $2
- Downtown weekend evening service: Free
- Transfers: Free
Other Services
The City of Huntsville Department of Parking and Public Transit also maintains the 13 public parking garages and lots in downtown Huntsville, the Handi-Ride paratransit fleet, and RIDE-SHARE, the Huntsville-area carpool program. In June 2008, the department also began managing the neighboring city of Madison's paratransit system, MARS.Future plans
A park and ridePark and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
is planned at Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre is a lifestyle center in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. It was developed by Q&S Holdings and designed by TSArchitects, both of Los Angeles. The center is located in Cummings Research Park at the intersection of Old Madison Pike, Interstate 565, and Research Park Boulevard...
, a mixed-use development in Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
West, and will become a transit hub for the western part of the city. Other park-and-rides have been discussed, but no specific locations have been selected.
Routes to the following places have been planned/discussed for when funding becomes available:
- Huntsville International AirportHuntsville International AirportHuntsville International Airport , also known as Carl T. Jones Field, is an airport located 9 miles southwest of the central business district of Huntsville, a city in Madison County, Alabama, United States...
- Redstone ArsenalRedstone ArsenalRedstone Arsenal is a United States Army base and a census-designated place adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area...
/Marshall Space Flight CenterMarshall Space Flight CenterThe George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
Other long-range transit projects that have been discussed for the Huntsville area:
- A commuter rail line between Huntsville and Decatur, with stops in Madison and Research Park.
- A light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line linking downtown Huntsville to Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River.
Routes
- 1. Red Core Loop
Madison County Courthouse, Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville Museum of Art is a museum located in Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally established by city Ordinance No. 70-134, on August 13, 1970, which established the Museum Board of the City of Huntsville. The museum held its first exhibition in 1973 and moved to its first permanent facility...
, Huntsville Hospital, Parkway Place
Parkway Place
Parkway Place is an upscale shopping mall in Huntsville, Alabama.The mall opened on October 16, 2002, on the site of the older Parkway City Mall, which was torn down to allow for the construction of the newer facility. The mall is located at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Drake Avenue...
Mall, Huntsville Senior Center/Brahan Spring Park
- 2. Blue Core Loop
Same as #1, but in reverse
- 3. Madison Square/Holmes Avenue
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
, Research Park East, Madison Square Mall
Madison Square Mall
Madison Square Mall is Huntsville, Alabama's largest enclosed shopping center, encompassing over . It is also now the oldest extant enclosed shopping mall in the city. Anchored by JCPenney, Dillard's Outlet, Sears, and Belk, the mall is located on the corner of University Dr. Madison Square Mall is...
- 4. Madison Square/University Drive
University Drive commercial area, Madison Square Mall, Perimeter Office Park
- 5. Airport Road
Von Braun Center
Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
, Parkway Place Mall, Crestwood Medical Center, Huntsville Hospital Medical Mall
- 6. Southwest Huntsville
Von Braun Center
Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
, Westlawn, Brahan Springs Park/Senior Center, Milton Frank Stadium
- 7. Alabama A&M University
JF Drake State Technical College, Alabama A&M University, Five Points
- 8. Medaris Road/A&M
Alabama Career Center, JF Drake State Technical College, Alabama A&M University, Five Points
- 9. Northwest Huntsville/ Oakwood College
The Fountain Shopping Center, Oakwood College
Oakwood College
Oakwood University is a private university located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. It is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
, Alabama Career Center
- 10. Weatherly Road
Parkway Place, Airport Road, Jones Valley, Southeast Huntsville, Joe Davis Stadium
- 12. Research Park Loop
UAH, Calhoun Community College
Calhoun Community College
Calhoun Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning, located in Decatur, Alabama, United States.The largest of the 27 two-year institutions comprising the Alabama Community College System, Calhoun is an open-admission, coeducational, comprehensive community college dedicated to...
, Sherwood Park, Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre is a lifestyle center in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. It was developed by Q&S Holdings and designed by TSArchitects, both of Los Angeles. The center is located in Cummings Research Park at the intersection of Old Madison Pike, Interstate 565, and Research Park Boulevard...
, Research Park West
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
, Westside Pavilion (Target), University Drive
- T. Tourist Loop Trolley
University Drive, Madison Square Mall, Research Park East
Cummings Research Park
Cummings Research Park, located primarily in the city of Huntsville, Alabama is the second largest research park in the United States, and the fourth largest in the world. The Research Triangle Park in North Carolina is the only research park in the United States that is larger. Cummings Research...
, US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville Botanical Garden
The Huntsville Botanical Garden is a 112 acres botanical garden located at 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville, Alabama, near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. It is open year-round for a fee...
,
Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville Museum of Art is a museum located in Huntsville, Alabama. It was originally established by city Ordinance No. 70-134, on August 13, 1970, which established the Museum Board of the City of Huntsville. The museum held its first exhibition in 1973 and moved to its first permanent facility...
, EarlyWorks, Alabama Constitution Village
Alabama Constitution Village
The Alabama Constitution Village is a historical open air museum in Huntsville, Alabama that reenacts life in 1819. The eight buildings include a law office, print shop, land surveyor's office, post office, cabinetmaker's shop and residence....
, Courthouse Square
- Weekend Evening Service
Five Points, the Medical District, the Von Braun Center
Von Braun Center
The Von Braun Center , known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, meeting, and performing arts complex, with a maximum arena seating capacity of 10,000, located in Huntsville, Alabama...
, Big Spring Park (Huntsville, Alabama)
Big Spring Park (Huntsville, Alabama)
Big Spring International Park is located in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. The park is built around its namesake "Big Spring", the original water source that the city of Huntsville was built around...
, and various restaurants and clubs. Runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 7PM-2AM only.