Latest news with #CityofHuntsville
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Halsey Ave. residents want speed bumps installed to combat ‘dangerous' driving
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Some residents on Halsey Avenue in Huntsville say speeding on their street has become a big issue. Now, they're petitioning the City of Huntsville to install speed cushions to slow down drivers. Longtime resident Gail Lee told News 19, 'we've had some near misses on this street.' ALEA warning public of 'Alabama DMV' scam texts Halsey Avenue doesn't have sidewalks, so people who are taking a stroll or walking their pets have to do so on the edge of the road. Lee said she's concerned that one of these days a speeding driver might hit someone. 'That'd be all she wrote,' she said. Lee told News 19 that she's brought her concerns to the City of Huntsville multiple times in recent years. She said a few years back, the Traffic Engineering Department conducted a traffic survey. She said the results were eye opening. Protecting yourself from skin cancer and the sun's lasting effects 'The average speed of the vehicles was 38 miles an hour' Lee said. 'This is a 25 mile an hour zone.' After that, the City of Huntsville installed speed radar signs. However, Lee said, in her opinion, that they are no longer an effective deterrent for drivers. 'It helped for a little while, until I think people realized, it ain't doing nothing' Lee said. Decatur City Council unanimously approves hire of deputy chief after adding position While News 19 was on scene Monday afternoon gathering video, one driver set off the speed radar going 55 miles per hour, before slowing down. Lee told News 19 that she'd like speed cushions to be installed, so drivers are forced to slow down. She recently started a petition to make that happen and went door to door in her neighborhood collecting signatures. 'I had nobody refuse to sign it,' she said. 'Everybody was a 'yes, we're ready for it'.' In order to be considered, the City of Huntsville requires that 75% of residents are in favor of the petition, before it can be approved. Lee said when she hand delivered the petition to the Traffic Engineering Department on Friday, she was told that the city would need to notify 9 residents who didn't participate in the petition. Lee said she feels like the department is understanding where the residents are coming from. 'I think we are all so glad that the city has finally recognized that we have a problem and I hope that they want to fix it,' she said. Lee said that while slowing down may seem inconvenient, it could save lives. 'Nobody likes speed bumps, I mean, I don't like them, but if it will slow one person down, if it will save one person's life, one pets life, one child's life or one old person's life that maybe has stumbled and fell, I mean, it would be worth it to me' she said. 'It's worth it to save somebody.' She said she understands that the City of Huntsville has a process for safety improvements like these, but that she hopes they can find room in the budget to improve safety for residents. Also on Monday, the Huntsville Police Department announced a 'summer slowdown' campaign urging drivers to 'be more aware and slow down.' HPD noted that people need to be especially cautious on 'city streets, neighborhoods where people are out walking, biking and driving.' According to the Huntsville Police Department, speeding is a problem city-wide. HPD revealed that there have been 12 fatal crashes this year, with speed being a 'primary or contributing' factor. HPD told News 19 that between January and May of this year, it issued 2,625 citations and 1,641 written warnings for people exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 mph. 'Enforcement alone won't solve the problem,' HPD Chief Kirk Giles said. 'We must engage with our community to educate drivers on the real risks of speeding, from deadly crashes to the financial and legal consequences they will face' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
News 19 Exclusive: Huntsville man concerned about mud runoff from construction site near neighborhood
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Mike Adcock has lived in a house off Holmes Avenue across from where Butler High School used to be for most of his life. Adcock said that sometime in the 1980s, his family made an agreement with the City of Huntsville to take care of the median in front of the house. He recalled the days when his grandmother had a full garden in their patch of land, but now it is just a strip that he enjoys caring for. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. However, recently, Adcock said that caring for the median has not been easy because of the mud runoff from the construction site next door. 'They haven't taken care of their mud runoff when it rains,' Adcock said. 'The median that I take care of, that I have to cut, it's full of mud, six to eight inches. Nobody can get a riding or push mower through that.' Adcock claims he contacted the City of Huntsville about the issue, and that some work to address the situation has been done, but he does not feel it has been enough. 'These guys have done a little something, but I don't think it's going to hold up, I really don't,' Adcock said. 'They just kind of put a bandage over the problem. 'Their solution was they are gonna dig a hole,' Adcock said. 'Well, it just fills up with water and mud and that causes a health problem with mosquitoes.' The frustration over the situation continues to boil for Adcock and his neighbors to the point where he said he feels like no one cares. 'I feel like the city has turned their back on me,' Adcock said. 'I'm doing the city a favor, I'm saying the city money because I'm the one that cuts this grass and helps to beautify the city's land. I don't have to do it, I want to do it because this is in front of my house, I want it to look good, I don't want it a concrete jungle like the rest of the ditches or medians in Huntsville.' District 1 City Council member Michelle Watkins told News 19 that she has not received any complaints about the area, but that she would be looking into it. Adcock said that in the end, he just wants the city or the construction company to fix the problem so he can go back to caring for the patch. 'I would like for these guys to control the runoff like what happened on Monte Santo,' Adcock said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
