Sidewalks installed near Florence High School and Freshman Center

FLORENCE, Ala. — A stroll down Bradshaw Drive near Florence High School looks a little different than in years past. Pedestrians now have access to a feature not seen before along the busy thoroughfare—newly paved sidewalks.

Florence District 4 City Council Representative Michelle Eubanks said the new sidewalks were made possible through funding from a Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) Grant.

“It allowed us the opportunity to do some safety improvements that we have long needed, especially in areas where we have a lot of student traffic,” Eubanks said. “After some conversations, the mayor was involved, the state was involved, we decided that we really needed to add sidewalks here because we have a lot of students who walk to and from school.”

In addition to students, the new sidewalks also add a layer of safety for residents in neighborhoods surrounding Florence High School and Florence Freshman Center.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Eubanks said. “I’m so grateful to see them installed and hopefully to see students use them and residents use them to get where they’re going.”

The sidewalks extend from Bradshaw Drive to Helton Drive, near the YMCA of the Shoals, where pedestrians will also notice new signaled crosswalks for added protection.

For Eubanks, the improved safety measures hit close to home.

“As a former Falcon mom myself, I know the value of student safety, and these roads are heavily traveled,” she said. “It’s incumbent upon us, the city officials, to consider safety as a number one priority, and that’s what I see these sidewalks as.”

Eubanks said the new sidewalks are part of a larger safety improvement plan in District 4 that will benefit pedestrians and motorists in the areas of Helton Drive, Rickwood Road, and Chisholm Road.

By Jeremy Jackson