MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile is preparing to put the Second Line Transit name on 62 vehicles as the city moves closer to replacing WAVE Transit.
The Mobile City Council will consider a $230,950 purchase order to Star Graphics Inc. on Tuesday to rebrand the fleet: 16 buses, 11 vans, four SUVs, 12 sedans, 18 paratransit shuttles and one trolley.
More than a name change
The rebrand is one visible piece of a much larger overhaul of Mobile’s transit system. Second Line is designed to combine traditional fixed-route buses with expanded on-demand service, an approach intended to reach residents whose trips do not align neatly with existing routes.
That hybrid model has gained traction in mid-sized cities where fixed routes alone leave substantial coverage gaps. On-demand service — sometimes called microtransit — allows riders to request a pickup within a defined zone, with software routing the vehicle. It works best as a complement to fixed routes rather than a replacement, filling first-mile and last-mile gaps and serving lower-density areas where a full-size bus on a schedule cannot be justified.
How the contract came about
The city previously sought bids for the vehicle graphics but received no responsive bids. It then used a competitive price quote process to select Star Graphics.
That sequence is worth noting. Fleet graphics work at this scale requires specialized capacity — vinyl wrapping 62 vehicles of six different types is not a job most sign shops can absorb — and a no-bid outcome usually reflects a thin regional market rather than a procedural problem.
A delayed launch
Second Line was originally expected to launch July 27. The city delayed the change in part because rebranding the fleet was taking longer than anticipated. Officials have since said the new system is expected to launch sometime after Labor Day, though an exact date has not been announced.
For current WAVE riders, the practical guidance remains to watch for city announcements on route changes and service zones as the launch date firms up. Transit transitions of this kind typically involve adjustments in the first weeks of operation as ridership patterns become clear.
The council takes up the purchase order Tuesday.