Tuscaloosa Transit Authority
Encyclopedia
The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority, or TTA, is a local, government-owned bus
system based in Tuscaloosa
, Alabama
that commenced operation in 1971. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority serves the city of Tuscaloosa and also operates the trolleys between the student entertainment districts downtown and The Strip and game day shuttle buses for Alabama football games. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority is governed by a seven member board, and employs a staff of 27 full time employees as off February 2008. Beginning in 1999, the TTA's fleet consists of El Dorado Transmark RE buses that are designed to resemble historic trolleys that have been absent from Tuscaloosa since 1941.
Ridership for the system averages approximately 16,000 per month, and the system as a whole has seen a 9 percent increase in ridership numbers for 2008 as compared to 2007.
The TTA also operates demand response vans to transport citizens without transportation directly to their destination when regular bus service is unavailable.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
system based in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
that commenced operation in 1971. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority serves the city of Tuscaloosa and also operates the trolleys between the student entertainment districts downtown and The Strip and game day shuttle buses for Alabama football games. The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority is governed by a seven member board, and employs a staff of 27 full time employees as off February 2008. Beginning in 1999, the TTA's fleet consists of El Dorado Transmark RE buses that are designed to resemble historic trolleys that have been absent from Tuscaloosa since 1941.
Ridership for the system averages approximately 16,000 per month, and the system as a whole has seen a 9 percent increase in ridership numbers for 2008 as compared to 2007.
Routes
The TTA operates five fixed routes serving the city of Tuscaloosa with each originating and terminating at the downtown Mund Terminal. Service for these four routes is Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at one hour intervals. The four fixed routes are listed below:- VA Hospital-University Mall - Serves the eastern portions of Tuscaloosa terminating at the VA Hospital
- Stillman College-McKenzie Court - Serves the western portions of Tuscaloosa terminating at the McKenzie Court public housingPublic housingPublic housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
project. - Cresent Ridge-Holt - Serves the northeastern portions of Tuscaloosa terminating at Holt High School in HoltHolt, AlabamaHolt is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,103. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. - Greensboro-McFarland Mall - Serves the southern portions of Tuscaloosa terminating at McFarland MallMcFarland MallMcFarland Mall is a regional shopping mall on U.S. Route 11 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Located at the interchange of Interstate 20/59 with U.S. Route 82 , it is in the southern section of the city...
. - Shelton State- Serves the southwestern porstions of Tuscalosa, including Shelton State Community College
The TTA also operates demand response vans to transport citizens without transportation directly to their destination when regular bus service is unavailable.
Former routes
- Northport Route - In December 2001, the Northport City Council approved an expansion of TTA bus service into NorthportNorthport, AlabamaNorthport is a city in Tuscaloosa County in the west central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Located on the Black Warrior River across from downtown Tuscaloosa, it is currently the 24th largest city in Alabama with an estimated population of 23,442 in 2009...
. The route served the areas between Druid City Hospital Northport and downtown. With service commencing in January 2002, the route was discontinued by the mid 2000s. - Blue & Yellow Routes - The TTA operated a two line shuttle service on the University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
campus beginning in the early 2000s. The service was never fully utilized by the student body due to limited service and a lack of promotion. The service was discontinued by 2007 with the opening of the University operated campus shuttle, the CrimsonRideCrimsonRideThe CrimsonRide is an area bus service serving the students, staff, faculty, and general public on and around the University of Alabama's campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The CrimsonRide is operated by First Transit, under contract with UA's Department of Transportation Services, and commenced...
.