Downtown Mobile Sidewalks in Line for a $1 Million Overhaul, Starting on Church Street
The Mobile City Council votes Tuesday on a $1 million contract with Parten Smith Inc. to repair downtown sidewalks and ADA ramps, with Church Street work starting first.
MOBILE, Ala. — Downtown Mobile could soon see $1 million in targeted sidewalk and accessibility repairs, with work on Church Street expected to begin as soon as the contract is approved. The Mobile City Council will vote Tuesday on a $1 million contract with Parten Smith Inc. for the Downtown Sidewalk Improvements Project. The contract was introduced Aug. 18 and held over for the Aug. 25 meeting.
Scope of the work
District 2 Councilwoman Samantha Ingram said the project will make spot repairs to sidewalks and ADA ramps within the area bounded by Government, Broad, Canal and Water streets. The volume of work is substantial. Plans call for removing more than 4,500 square yards of existing concrete and brick sidewalk and installing more than 3,400 square yards of new sidewalk.
The project also includes new curb ramps and detectable warning surfaces for pedestrians with visual impairments, along with related curb, gutter, driveway and landscaping repairs.
Funding source
Funding comes from the Alabama Department of Transportation through the Transportation Alternatives Program, which supports improvements to walking and biking infrastructure. That means the work is largely paid for with dedicated federal-state transportation dollars rather than general fund revenue.
Trees are addressed in the contract
The city says it does not anticipate removing any trees, and tree roots cannot be cut without approval from city staff.
Why it matters
"Improving our sidewalks is about more than appearances," Ingram said.
"It is about accessibility, walkability and making sure our downtown infrastructure keeps pace with the people and businesses who frequent the heart of our city." Parten Smith would have 100 working days to complete the project once the contract is approved and work begins.
About the funding and accessibility requirements
The Transportation Alternatives Program is a federal program, funded through the Federal Highway Administration and administered in Alabama by ALDOT, that pays for projects such as sidewalks, bike facilities and pedestrian safety improvements. Federal money generally covers up to 80% of an eligible project’s cost, with the local sponsor responsible for the remaining match.
The detectable warning surfaces included in the contract are the panels of raised, truncated domes installed at the bottom of curb ramps. Federal accessibility standards call for them where a sidewalk meets the street so that pedestrians who are blind or have low vision can tell by foot where the street begins.
