Foley residents are invited to a Safety Action Plan meeting on Monday, April 1. The meeting is to discuss addressing road safety concerns within the community. The meeting is  scheduled to take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Foley Civic Center.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich highlighted the extensive efforts undertaken by city officials and plan developers over several months to formulate proposals aimed at enhancing road safety. The upcoming meeting serves as an opportunity for residents to engage in discussions regarding the proposed projects developed as part of the safety plan.

“They (city officials) will be presenting the plans for proposed projects to the public. This will give the public an opportunity to provide feedback,” Hellmich said. “We have been working to verify ways of making public transportation safety improvements that could cut down on the number of accidents.”

Wayne Dyess, Foley's executive director of infrastructure and development, emphasized the collaboration between the consulting company Kimberly Horn and Foley officials in analyzing accident data to inform the plan's development.

“Part of this is using data paths as they’re developing this plan,” Dyess said. “This will primarily help us with grant funding going forward for intersection improvements and things like that.”

The upcoming meeting on Monday will offer residents the chance to contribute their ideas or suggestions on the proposal before a final plan is formulated.

Research conducted as part of the plan revealed that Foley experienced a total of 5,218 traffic accidents between 2018 and 2022, with 136 of these accidents resulting in fatalities or serious injuries.

Several intersections in Foley were identified as having a higher frequency of accidents. Notably, along Alabama 59, the intersections of Baldwin County 20, Pride Drive and Orange Avenue exhibited a higher incidence of accidents compared to other locations. Similarly, on the Foley Beach Express, the intersections of East Section Avenue – U.S. 98 and Baldwin County 20 also showed a heightened density of accidents.

Residents who were asked during the plan development process raised concerns about various safety issues. They cited instances of excessively long highway turn lanes, leading to misuse of the center sections as an additional lane, and observed violations of red lights and speed limits. Additionally, residents noted that traffic lights changed too quickly, traffic congestion was particularly severe during summer tourist months and the roads posed safety risks for pedestrians.