HOOVER, Ala. — A Bluff Park resident is asking Hoover to fund sidewalks along Hawksbury Lane, arguing that children are routinely walking a narrow road without a dedicated pedestrian space while the project remains unfunded.
Blake Westbrook brought the issue to the Hoover City Council during public comment Monday night, asking leaders to reconsider sidewalks on Hawksbury Lane between Maiden Lane and Cloudland Drive.
“This is a need,” Westbrook told council members. “This is something that we need because we want to keep our kids safe.”
Westbrook said 27 children live along that stretch of road and many walk to school, the park, pavilion and pool. He said more than 375 people have signed a petition supporting the sidewalk project.
“There’s no dedicated space for foot traffic,” Westbrook said.
He also raised concerns about speeding and said a neighbor had to push her daughter into a ditch to avoid a speeding vehicle. ABC 33/40 has not independently verified the incident or Westbrook’s figures on the number of children and petition signatures.
Westbrook told council members the sidewalk had previously been identified as a city need before being changed to a want. He said residents have heard concerns about engineering, drainage and right-of-way issues, but argued those challenges should not outweigh the safety concerns.
“I guarantee you very soon we’re going to have a kid get hit,” Westbrook said. “It almost happens every single week.”
City: project considered, but not funded
In a statement to ABC 33/40, the City of Hoover said it understands residents’ concerns and has considered sidewalk infrastructure on Hawksbury Lane before.
The city said the project is not part of Hoover’s adopted Bike and Pedestrian Plan, but was submitted by the Engineering Department for consideration during each of the past three budget cycles.
Hoover said it weighs several factors when evaluating sidewalk requests, including connections to the existing pedestrian network, terrain, drainage, utilities, ADA requirements, right-of-way needs, cost and available funding. The city also cited the existing sidewalk corridors on Cloudland Drive, Savoy Street and Maiden Lane as factors in its evaluation of Hawksbury Lane.
The city said it is aware of speeding concerns on Hawksbury Lane and has taken “immediate action” through direct traffic enforcement.
Capital needs competing for funding
Hoover said it was able to fund about 36% of the capital requests submitted for fiscal year 2027.
No new sidewalk-construction projects were funded this fiscal year, the city said. Instead, sidewalk funding was directed toward repairing and maintaining existing infrastructure.
While Hawksbury Lane was not funded in FY27, the city said that does not permanently end consideration of the project.
“Capital needs are reviewed during each budget cycle, and the Hawksbury Lane sidewalk may receive further consideration in future years,” the statement said.
Residents who support the project say that timeline is the heart of their concern: They want the city to view the sidewalk not as an optional neighborhood upgrade, but as a safety project for children who already use the road every day.
————————————————
