Project Safe Streets

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Project Safe Streets is a planned initiative of the City of Birmingham, announced in 2024, to reduce the number of vehicle entrances and exits from certain residential neighborhoods as a public safety measure.

The strategy is similar to one introduced in 2017 by the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District for its Marks Village public housing community in Gate City.

Mayor Randall Woodfin first began discussing the proposal during a 2-hour town hall meeting on crime reduction in April 2024, and followed up with city officials visiting churches, homes, and businesses in the East Lake neighborhood, which was selected for a 90-day pilot project. In addition to concerns about violence, neighborhood residents complained about the presence of prostitutes, drug houses, and illegal trash dumps.

Woodfin explained the strategy by saying "We are not in a position to regulate guns, so this is also a creative, innovative way to regulate space. We have to decrease people's opportunity to just drive in a neighborhood, to be able to freely shoot and drive out."

Pilot

Map of road closures and new 4-way stops in East Lake

An initial pilot project was implemented in the East Lake neighborhood in 2024.

Concrete barriers were delivered between June 27 and July 5. Marquis Tucker and another local artist were commissioned to decorate the barriers with designs, such as silhouettes of children, in black over bright yellow and orange backgrounds. They were moved into position to block streets on July 8, accompanied by temporary safety barriers. Most of the streets connecting to 1st Avenue North were interrupted by barricades north of Division Avenue, with only 68th and 75th Streets and Oporto-Madrid Boulevard continuing through. In the other direction, only 2nd Avenue South would continue all the way through the neighborhood, with the other avenues and alleys barricaded at 68th and Oporto-Madrid.

Some changes were made to the plan on July 10. 76th Street South was used as a throughway rather than 75th, and the streets surrounding Barrett Elementary School were kept open in both directions. "Speed cushions" in sets of three were added along Division Avenue and Higdon Road. Another 4-way stop was installed at 73rd Street South and London Avenue. An additional barricade was installed blocking 71st Street South near Hill Crest Hospital.

In late July the temporary barriers were replaced with greenery. The project also included a clean-up program, the addition of stop signs, and accelerated demolition of derelict structures. Evaluation of the pilot project began in October.

Acknowledging the pilot project as experimental in nature, Woodfin said that "If it doesn’t work, we will open it back up. If it does work, we will look to not only continue it there but bring it to another neighborhood to say this is a way to decrease gun violence in your community, this is a way to stop other illegal activity."

By the end of the month, at least one resident interviewed by NBC 13 said that her skepticism about the program had turned into appreciation for the reduction in speeding traffic. Others complained that their oppositions to the plans were ignored, or that the barriers felt like a punishment.

In August, Birmingham Director of Process Improvement Alicia Lumpkin reported that the city had made more than 45 arrests, issued more than 100 traffic tickets, cut more than 120 overgrown lots, identified more than 35 derelict structures to be demolished, and hauled away more than 292 tons of trash from the East Lake area.

Woodfin updated the City Council on October 1, saying that over the course of 80 days, police had issued 559 traffic citations, made 140 arrests, seized 19 firearms, and initiated 5 drug nuisance abatement cases. His department contacted 381 neighborhood residents, with 305 expressing a support for the project against 12 people opposed and 64 with no opinion.

The city extended the initial pilot to allow for a public hearing in Council Chambers at 9:30 AM on November 12.

References

External links

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