The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), ­Birmingham, AL, broke ground recently for its $30 million Intermodal Transportation Center and Terminal. The new facility will replace the agency’s current Central Station and Amtrak Station.

BJCTA Executive Director Ann August said the new facility will be “a one-stop shop for transportation” with almost three times as much waiting room space as the current station. She said she considers construction of the intermodal center “the beginning of a new era for transportation in the city of Birmingham and the region,” suggesting that the amenities of a new central station could encourage non-riders to try public transit.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell joined city councilors, representatives of FTA’s regional office in Atlanta, and other dignitaries at the event.

An artist’s rendering of the new Intermodal Transportation Center and Terminal in Birmingham, AL.