By james art At an ALDOT public participation meeting Wednesday, Birmingham residents provided input on what they want to see changed and where when it comes to walking and biking in their neighborhoods.
Alison Green, an ALDOT spokeswoman, said the plan “is about how to integrate pedestrians and bicyclists in a safe way because it’s a challenge to be among all the vehicles.”
All input will be factored into an update to the state’s 2017 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
Erica McGrath is a Birmingham resident who spends a lot of time on her bike. She gave her input to the meeting.
“Cycling in Birmingham can be very sketchy depending on where you want to go. Especially if you don’t drive or own a car, it becomes very difficult to get around,” McGrath said.
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She also listed complaints about pedestrian infrastructure in the Birmingham area, saying: “Pedestrian and pedestrian infrastructure leaves much to be desired.”
Birmingham is one of the most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrians, with around 8.13 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023.
That’s something McGrath hopes to see less of with this new plan, and blames the current state or lack of sidewalks in Birmingham.
“In my neighborhood, the traffic isn’t very high, but I see people walking in the middle of the street or keeping their wheelchair in the street because they can’t use the sidewalk,” McGrath said.
ALDOT also has a public input form you can fill out if you couldn’t make it to a meeting and want to comment. Statements must be submitted before the end of 2024.