City of Montgomery Holds Open House to Improve Walkability on Carter Hill Road and College Street
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — The City of Montgomery hosted an open house Tuesday evening to gather public input on ways to improve pedestrian and bicycle access in the Old Cloverdale neighborhood and along Carter Hill Road.
Residents gathered at the Country Club Shopping Center to review maps and plans, discussing potential improvements that would make the area more walkable. Dozens sat side-by-side at tables, offering feedback on which ideas they favored — and which they didn’t.
“We see mothers with strollers running across busy streets to get to Forest Avenue Academic Magnet School or the Montessori on Mulberry,” said Lois Cortell, senior development manager for the city. “Those things make me worried as a mother too. I’m here to promote the businesses, but we also want safety for our families and our residents.”
The area under review stretches from Carter Hill Road to College Street and includes a major intersection that city officials say poses significant safety concerns.
The intersection near College Street and Carter Hill Road is particularly problematic, noting that students from Alabama State University frequently cross there without a crosswalk to shop for food at the Winn-Dixie grocery store.
“This area has a lot of really awesome local businesses and obviously the importance of a grocery store,” Szymanski said. “We’ve got a neighborhood right next door, but there’s not a lot of connectivity. It’s not very pedestrian safe or friendly. We want to create some road diets to limit pass-through traffic and make it easier for residents to access these businesses.”
Jared McKinney, a resident of College Street, walks his 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter to two different schools several blocks away each day.
“We cut through business parking lots because it’s the only way, but it always comes with a little risk,” McKinney said. “There’s always that fear that a car might get out of control. We’re excited to see the community working to improve things.”
Szymanski said the planning process is expected to take five to six months. Funding for the master plan is being provided through money allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“One of the things I did was invest in a master plan to re-envision how this area could work — for both pedestrians and vehicles,” Szymanski said. “This is one of the first phases, and we’re collecting public input now to guide final recommendations. Then, we hope to secure grant money to start construction.”
Cortell emphasized the importance of incorporating feedback from both residents and business owners in the planning process.
“This isn’t just about the neighborhood,” Szymanski added. “It’s also about supporting our commercial partners, many of whom have dealt with break-ins or heavy pass-through traffic. We think these changes will help replace that with positive foot traffic.”
The city will continue gathering community input over the coming months before finalizing the master plan.
Residents who would like to provide feedback can contact District 7 Councilman Andrew Szymanski at 334-209-4757 or Ivan Holloway at iholloway@montgomeryal.gov.
