Sand Town Traffic and Safety Concerns

Communication from Councilwoman Gina Gregory, District 7

Newsletter Alert: January 13, 2023

Dear Residents,

The N. McGregor Avenue roadway project has started - if this has been part of your daily commute, please heed the detour signs and take either University Blvd. or the I-65 Service Road as an east-wide route. PLEASE DO NOT CUT THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS.

The road closure is causing a lot of confusion for motorists who don’t heed the warning signs about the closure and instead of detouring to another east-west corridor, they are cutting through neighborhood streets off McGregor Avenue that are not designed for such a high volume of traffic. The heavier traffic on these narrow streets has caused a lot of concern for people who live there. The McGregor closure has also resulted in more motorists using Tuthill Lane as an east-west route. Residents report a high volume of traffic in the early morning hours at high speeds and some motorists failing to heed stop signs. Following that, the traffic tends to slow down, and get backed up. Some people who live on Tuthill report that they’re not able to get out of their driveways. Mobile Police Traffic Officers have been on the scene and have been a big help. They’re coordinating with the Director of Public Safety and Traffic Engineers to monitor and evaluate what can be done now with the first few days of the closure behind us to be more proactive and make improvements. We are looking at ways to better ensure the safety of everyone who lives in the area, paying special attention to the number of youngsters who walk to school. In the meantime, Police Officers will continue to have a presence in the area. The city has set up a website for e-mails and a texting option to answer questions and provide updates. Visit www.city of mobile.org/McGregor-avenue-project or text MOBILEMCGREGOR to 91896.

Deja vu. The challenges created by the recent closures of North McGregor at Spring Hill Avenue and further east of Springhill Avenue at the train tracks resulting in traffic chaos seems oddly familiar. It’s apparently going to be a year of challenge and change. Council woman Gina Gregory advised in her recent correspondence to 7th District residents that the closures have caused residential streets to become congested, high traffic areas. 

Even though Gregory did not mention Sand Town in her letter, Mordecai and Sheips Lanes are dealing with the same chaotic traffic and safety concerns as Tuthill. Travelers in search of alternative routes have also tried to squeeze down Mordecai and Sheips Lanes. Both have such narrow points that only one car can pass at a time. This is causing confusion and potential dangers for the residents and motorists.  East to west, from St. Ignatius at Tuthill to Forest Hill at Municipal Park, these new traffic patterns are uncontrolled.

Alas, this is a real-world view into the potentially lifetime of a mess for the residents of Sand Town and neighboring streets who are now and will be even more adversely impacted by commercial development at the corner of McGregor and Springhill Avenue. While some areas will return to normal once the road construction is completed, Sand Town and nearby neighborhood streets will not be so fortunate. This will be due to people trying to access whatever shops there may be, at who knows what hours, which creates high traffic situations.

Residents along Springhill Avenue  have had difficulty getting in and out of their driveways since the once peaceful two-lane street was widened into a five-lane boulevard in the 1970’s. In addition, there is talk of a potential roundabout at Springhill and N. McGregor. Residents that need to get out of their driveways between McGregor and Tuthill Lane without a stop light to halt traffic will forever be negatively impacted. 

Sand Town stands in solidarity with the residents on neighboring streets. We are against commercial overdevelopment and street reconstruction plans that threaten the peace and safety of this area.