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The Wave Transit System

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wave Transit System
The GM&O Transit Center at night
ParentCity of Mobile
Founded1995
Headquarters110 Beauregard Street
LocaleGulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal
Mobile, Alabama
Service areaMobile County, Alabama
Service typebus service, paratransit
Routes13
Daily ridership1,628 (2022)[1]
Annual ridership495,899 (2022)[1]
Website[1]

The Wave Transit System is the operator of public transportation in Mobile, Alabama, operated by the City of Mobile. Eleven local routes service the city and suburban regions, while the modal trolley provides downtown shuttle service. Crossbay service via the Baylinc route service Baldwin County, Alabama. The cities of Spanish Fort, Daphne, Fairhope, and Point Clear have bus access to Downtown Mobile via US 98 and US 90.

History

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Mobile's public transportation was started in 1860 as the Mobile and Spring Hill Railway, a mule-drawn trolley system. In 1892, the line was acquired by J. Howard Wilson and electrified.[2] In 1893 Mobile Light & Railway was formed by the consolidation of the Mobile Electric Railway and the Mobile Electric Light & Power.[3] In 1897, Mobile and Spring Hill Railway was combined into Mobile Light & Railway to form the Mobile Light & Railroad

Another system was started in 1887 under similar ownership as the Mobile and Spring Hill under the name Mobile Street Railway.[4] It was sold in foreclosure in 1892 and was renamed the Mobile Street Railroad.[4][5] By 1903, the Mobile Street Railroad was combined into Mobile Light & Railroad.[6] After the death of J. Howard Wilson in 1939, Mobile Light & Railroad was acquired by National City Lines and renamed Mobile City Lines.[4] Mobile City Lines converted the system to buses.[4] In 1971, the bus lines were taken over by the Mobile Transit Authority.[4] Mobile Transit Authority collapsed in 1995 and the operations were taken over by the City of Mobile under the name Metro Transit.[7] In 2005, Metro Transit was renamed The Wave.

Route list

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Number Name Frequency Operation Link Notes
Week
days
Satur
days
1 Airport 60 min 6:00
18:45
7:00
18:50
link
4 Spring Hill 60 min 5:00
18:55
6:30
18:30
link Saturday service only between
Downtown and Zeigler/University
5 Highway 45 60 min 5:25
18:55
6:25
18:55
link
7 Dauphin Street 60 min 5:25
20:50
6:25
20:50
link
9 Broad
/Southside
/Bel Air Mall
60 min 5:10
21:55
6:10
21:55
link
10 Crosstown 60 min 5:05
21:55
6:05
21:55
link
11 Dauphin Island Parkway 60 min 5:20
18:40
6:30
18:25
link Saturday service only between
Downtown and Fulbrook Shopping Center
12 Highway 90
/Tillman's Corner
60 min 6:00
18:55
7:00
19:55
link
15 Toulminville 60 min 5:30
18:40
6:30
18:40
link
16 Plateau
/Prichard
60 min 5:30
18:25
6:30
18:25
link
18 Cottage Hill
/USA
60 min 5:35
18:55
7:00
18:55
link Saturday service only between
Bel Air Mall and Cottage Hill Shopping Center
19 Schillinger
/Airport Boulevard
60 min 5:30
19:30
6:30
18:30
link Flex service,
with scheduled transfers to route 1
at Providence Hospital
Moda
(downtown shuttle)
20 min 7:00
14:00
- link Service extended during special events

Fixed route ridership

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The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[8]

250,000
500,000
750,000
1,000,000
1,250,000
1,500,000
2005
2008
2011
2014
2017
2020
2023

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Wave 2022 Agency Profile" (PDF). Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  2. ^ McGehee, Tom (2013-04-24). "Ask McGehee: What is the history of the median on Spring Hill Avenue?". Mobile Bay Magazine. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  3. ^ "Mobile Light & Railway Co.". Street Railway Section of the Commercial & Financial Chronicle. Wm. B. Dana Company. 1895. p. 48.
  4. ^ a b c d e Data Transfer Solutions (2006-03-15). "SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION". Transit Development Plan (TDP) for the Wave Transit System (Report). Mobile, AL: South Alabama Regional Planning Commission. p. 3.
  5. ^ "Mobile Street Railroad Co.". Street Railway Section of the Commercial & Financial Chronicle. Wm. B. Dana Company. 1899. p. 54 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ American Street Railway Association; Street Railway Accountants' Association of America; American Railway, Mechanical (1891). The street railway review. Chicago : Street Railway Review Pub. Co. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  7. ^ Amy, Jeff. "Not riding the wave". AL.com. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  8. ^ "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved April 24, 2024.
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