The Starkville Board of Aldermen approved a complete streets policy during its meeting on Nov. 21
The motion passed with a 7-0 vote following a short discussion among the board.
“It’s an aspirational policy that says wherever possible we will make our community pedestrian friendly, mass transit friendly and disabled friendly,” Mayor Lynn Spruill said.
Spruill said the policy reinforces what the board is already working to accomplish and will continue to look at overlays, sidewalks repairs, and construction of new sidewalks.
“These are things we are already doing,” Spruill said. “My intent was to help us once again be a part of what is viewed as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield healthy hometown policy, that the adoption of an aspirational complete streets policy is beneficial as we try to move forward and assure that we are a healthy hometown.”
Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn expressed his concern of the selection of sidewalks receiving the funds for fixtures. He said there are a few sidewalks in his ward in need of attention.
“Will we pay attention to all of the broken sidewalks that we have in some of the areas that fall up under that situation?” Vaughn said.
“We are going to take a sidewalk wherever it is reasonably feasible,” Spruill responded.
Spruill said their is $100,000 in the capital improvement plan to do sidewalk repairs and building newer sidewalks. This includes completing sidewalks that end abruptly and connecting others.
“We are going to go forward with that, that is part of our capital improvement plan that this board passed,” Spruill said. “We have every intention of paying attention to sidewalks.”