The Wave Transit System
{{Infobox Bus transit
| name = The Wave Transit System
| logo = The Wave Transit System logo.png
| logo_size = 100px
| image = GM&O_Transit_Center.jpg
| image_caption = The GM&O Transit Center at night
| company_slogan = "Ride the Wave!"
| parent = City of Mobile
| founded = 1995
| defunct =
| headquarters = 110 Beauregard Street
| locale = Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal
Mobile, Alabama
| service_area = Mobile County, Alabama
| service_type = bus service, paratransit
| alliance =
| routes = 13
| destinations =
| stops =
| hubs =
| stations =
| lounge =
| fleet =
| ridership = 1,628 (2022){{cite web|url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/transit_agency_profile_doc/2022/40043.pdf|title=The Wave 2022 Agency Profile|access-date=April 24, 2024}}
| annual_ridership= 495,899 (2022)
| fuel_type =
| operator =
| ceo =
| website = [http://www.thewavetransit.com/]
}}
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
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.{{Cite web| last = McGehee| first = Tom| title = Ask McGehee: What is the history of the median on Spring Hill Avenue?| work = Mobile Bay Magazine| access-date = 2018-10-18| date = 2013-04-24| url = https://mobilebaymag.com/ask-mcgehee-what-is-the-history-of-the-median-on-spring-hill-avenue/}} In 1893 Mobile Light & Railway was formed by the consolidation of the Mobile Electric Railway and the Mobile Electric Light & Power.{{Cite book| publisher = Wm. B. Dana Company| pages = 48| title = Street Railway Section of the Commercial & Financial Chronicle| chapter = Mobile Light & Railway Co.| date = 1895|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DNFAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Mobile%20Light%20%26%20Railway%22&pg=PA48}} 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.{{Cite report|author=Data Transfer Solutions| publisher = South Alabama Regional Planning Commission| title = Transit Development Plan (TDP) for the Wave Transit System| location = Mobile, AL| date = 2006-03-15|chapter-url=http://wave.edats.com/library.pl?category=All%20Documents&sort=eventid&rsort=0|chapter=SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION|page=3}} It was sold in foreclosure in 1892 and was renamed the Mobile Street Railroad.{{Cite book| publisher = Wm. B. Dana Company| pages = 54| title = Street Railway Section of the Commercial & Financial Chronicle| chapter = Mobile Street Railroad Co. | date = 1899|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zkVFAQAAMAAJ|via=Google Books}} By 1903, the Mobile Street Railroad was combined into Mobile Light & Railroad.{{Cite book| publisher = Chicago : Street Railway Review Pub. Co| last1 = American Street Railway Association| last2 = Street Railway Accountants' Association of America| last3 = American Railway| first3 = Mechanical| title = The street railway review| access-date = 2018-10-18| date = 1891| url = https://archive.org/details/streetrailwayrev13amer}} After the death of J. Howard Wilson in 1939, Mobile Light & Railroad was acquired by National City Lines and renamed Mobile City Lines. Mobile City Lines converted the system to buses. In 1971, the bus lines were taken over by the Mobile Transit Authority. Mobile Transit Authority collapsed in 1995 and the operations were taken over by the City of Mobile under the name Metro Transit.{{Cite web| last = Amy| first = Jeff| title = Not riding the wave| work = AL.com| access-date = 2018-10-18| url = http://blog.al.com/pr/2007/04/bus_article.html}} In 2005, Metro Transit was renamed The Wave.
Route list
| class="wikitable"
!rowspan=2| Number | rowspan=2| Name | rowspan=2| Frequency | colspan=2| Operation | rowspan=2| Link | rowspan=2| Notes |
| Week days || Satur days | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
|| Airport || 60 min || 6:00 | |||||
| 4
|| Spring Hill || 60 min || 5:00 | |||||
| 5
|| Highway 45 || 60 min || 5:25 | |||||
| 7
|| Dauphin Street || 60 min || 5:25 | |||||
| 9
|| Broad | |||||
| 10
|| Crosstown || 60 min || 5:05 | |||||
| 11
|| Dauphin Island Parkway || 60 min || 5:20 | |||||
| 12
|| Highway 90 | |||||
| 15
|| Toulminville || 60 min || 5:30 | |||||
| 16
|| Plateau | |||||
| 18
|| Cottage Hill | |||||
| 19
|| Schillinger | |||||
| colspan=2| Moda (downtown shuttle) || 20 min || 7:00 |
Fixed route ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.{{cite web | title=The National Transit Database (NTD) | url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-product/monthly-module-adjusted-data-release | access-date=April 24, 2024}}
{{#invoke:Chart | bar chart
| group 1 = 802368:914634:970640:1135077:1081929:1082703:1077236:1137564:1272429:1182093:1112634:975058:848714:844255:866433:550446:413435:450790:519119
| units suffix =
| group names = Annual ridership
| x legends =2005:::2008:::2011:::2014:::2017:::2020:::2023
| colors = #{{rcr|Metra|SouthWest}}
}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|The Wave Transit System}}
- [http://www.thewavetransit.com/ The Wave]
{{Alabama public transit}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wave Transit System, The}}