Making Way
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 1, 2009
After a teenage boy was struck by a vehicle late Friday, residents may be reminded of one of the city of Troy’s ongoing needs — sidewalks.
And, Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford said it’s a plan the city has placed big priority on both implementing and improving.
Troy Police Spokesman Sgt. Benny Scarbrough would not release the name of the victim, but a 16 or 17-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle late Friday on Wiley Street, near the intersection of East Fairview Street. He was treated and released from Troy Regional Medical Center since.
While Lunsford did not say exactly where within the city sidewalks would be built, he said they were a part of the Troy’s long-range plans.
“I’d like to see improvements on all the main thoroughfares — north and south Brundidge Street, north and south Three Notch and north and south Elm Street,” Lunsford said. But, these are already areas that, for the most part, already have sidewalks.
Lunsford said as the city begins to develop new transportation, a major portion of the long-range Comprehensive Community Master Plan, sidewalks will be a part of that work.
“Every time we do a street project, we will make sure sidewalks are part of it,” Lunsford said. “It’s a big priority.”
In fact, Lunsford has been given the OK to apply for a federal grant that, if awarded, would create a major road network that would be an east-west corridor stretching across the city.
If the grant’s awarded, Lunsford said more sidewalks would come with the new roads, though he did not say specifically where that roadwork would span.
Lunsford said the sidewalk project to build a sidewalk along George Wallace Drive will begin just next week.
“Sept. 10 is when they’ll start to move on the job,” Lunsford said.
During the project, which is funded by a transportation grant, Lunsford said at least one lane in each direction will be open at a time, though there may be no need to close any of the lanes in the process.
While most of the sidewalk implementations will not be done in the immediate future, Lunsford hopes that upgrading current sidewalks will be part of the next year’s budget.
“I really am trying to find the money next year to find a crew that can do a lot of repair and work on clearly defining sidewalks,” Lunsford said.