As Foley continues to grow, city planners and engineers are working to address increasing traffic challenges, including speeding, congestion and overall safety.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich emphasized the city's commitment to keeping traffic moving while ensuring streets remain safe.

"Foley is aware that with the increase in our population that traffic is an issue," Hellmich said. "We're working in several areas to handle that, whether it's mitigating speed or other solutions. We're trying to keep traffic moving at a safe speed all over the city."

City officials are focused on implementing traffic-calming measures that maintain a balance between controlling speed and preventing gridlock. For instance, improving intersections has been identified as a crucial step to alleviate congestion. Planners are also tailoring street designs to the specific needs of different areas. Residential streets, for example, may feature lower speed limits, narrower widths, sidewalks and on-street parking to enhance pedestrian safety and improve the community's aesthetic appeal.

On local neighborhood streets, solutions like small raised medians or the strategic planting of trees can help reduce vehicle speeds by creating a perception of narrower lanes. These passive traffic-calming measures not only slow down traffic but also contribute to the beauty of the neighborhood without the noise issues caused by rumble strips or speed bumps.

Collector roads, such as Baldwin County 12 and Hickory Street, serve to channel traffic between neighborhoods and major arterial routes like Alabama 59 and the Foley Beach Express. However, adding stop signs on these roads could inadvertently increase the risk of rear-end collisions as drivers may speed up between stops to make up for perceived lost time.

In response to concerns over traffic safety and congestion, Foley is also investing in pedestrian infrastructure. The city is building new sidewalks and allocating money for additional walkways and multi-use paths to support safer and more convenient travel for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.

"By integrating context-sensitive street design with effective traffic calming techniques, enhancing road connectivity and expanding pedestrian pathways, we are committed to creating a transportation system that not only addresses traffic flow and safety but also fosters a vibrant, safe and accessible transportation system for all residents," said Wayne Dyess, Foley executive director of infrastructure and development.

According to Chad Christian, Foley's city engineer, most traffic complaints in Foley stem from frustration over congestion rather than speeding. In light of this, recent changes to the city's zoning ordinance now require more trees to be planted along streets in new subdivisions.