FOLEY — Residents of Foley had the opportunity to discuss plans for road safety improvements during a Safety Action Plan meeting.

According to research conducted as part of the plan, 5,218 traffic accidents happened in Foley in the five years between 2018 and 2022. Of those accidents, 136 resulted in death or serious injuries.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich said this project has been in the works for several months.

"Our population has increased, and cars going through our city is now up to 28 million," Hellmich said. "If we can lower the number of accidents, and that is our goal, then we will have accomplished a purpose."

Kimley-Horn, the consulting company responsible for the execution of the project, looked at different factors, such as traffic volume, access density (number of driveways or access points), proximity to activity centers (schools shopping, parks, libraries, hospitals and attractions), crash rate and socioeconomics to determine effective strategies.

"The goal of the project is to ultimately reduce the fatalities and serious injuries," Transportation Engineer Project Manager LauraBeth Yates said. "James Road and County Road 12 had a lot of interest during our first public comment in the fall and McKenzie Street."

During the planning process, residents raised concerns regarding safety issues. They pointed out that certain highway turn lanes are excessively long, leading to drivers misusing the center sections as an additional lane. They also highlighted instances of drivers ignoring red lights and speeding, quick changes in traffic light signals, heavy traffic congestion during summer tourist seasons and inadequate pedestrian safety measures along the roads.

This project will be funded by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration.

A total of 19 projects were presented during the April 1 meeting.

The proposed improvements for various streets in the area, including McKenzie Street, Juniper Street, James Road, Alston Street and others, involve installing sidewalks, crosswalk signage and bike lanes, as well as improving sight distances and traffic signals. Additionally, plans involve implementing traffic calming measures, such as speed limit adjustments and median installations. Access management plans and safety evaluations are also slated for certain intersections. Overall, the aim is to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, improve traffic flow and accommodate future development.

During the meeting, residents were given red (against), green (for) and yellow (neutral) stickers, allowing them to vote on the recommendations for each project.

Those who attended only used green stickers, endorsing the recommendations, including Foley resident Darrelyn Dunmore.

"I am a downtown person, so I wanted to see what we could do to slow people down and there are a few places that need crosswalks," said Dunmore, who is the executive director of Foley Main Street. "I am so glad and proud that they took the steps to get this study done."