BAY MINETTE – A state grant could open up more of the city to walkers.

City officials hope a grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation will allow them to extend a sidewalk along Hand Avenue from 12th Street north to Petty Lane. The public will be able to voice opinions about the project next month.

“That would connect from the Baptist Church to the hospital,” said councilwoman Kathy Dobbins.

The new sidewalk would connect the downtown area with the north end of town. It would also open up a host of other walking paths around Bay Minette.

“You would be able to walk from downtown all the way to the wellness center at the hospital,” said Mayor Bob Wills. “From there, you could connect up with (the sidewalk) on Petty Lane and go over to McMillan. That would give us a wide area of coverage.”

The city currently has north-south sidewalks along much of McMillan Road and Hoyle Ave., which flank Hand Ave., which is also Highway 287. An east-west sidewalk at 12th St. would not only connect the three corridors, it would also give more pedestrians access to the city pool and tennis courts. The sidewalk on McMillan is connected with an east-west path along 14th Street, which carries walkers all the way to McMeans Avenue, the Highway 59 bypass.

Public input

The money would come through ALDOT’s Transportation Alternative Program (TAP). The grant requires a 20 percent match from the city. The grant will pay up to 100 percent of the construction costs, but city funds have to take care of the design process, according to Stacy McKeen, a grant writer with North Baldwin Utilities. NBU is partnering with the city on a series of grant applications.

The city will hold a public involvement meeting (sort of an informal public hearing) on June 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Bay Minette City Hall. The following week, McKeen will return to the council during its regular meeting with cost estimates so the city can submit the application before the state deadline.