City officials in Foley are embarking on a comprehensive plan to significantly reduce traffic accidents over the next decade.

The Foley City Council has approved a resolution endorsing ambitious targets aimed at slashing traffic fatalities and serious accidents by implementing a Safety Action Plan. This initiative is part of the broader Safe Streets and Roads for All grant.

Wayne Dyess, Foley's Executive Director of Infrastructure and Development, outlined the plan, emphasizing the goal to cut accidents by 50% by 2035 and by 75% by 2050.

“The committee recommends that our goal is to reduce accidents by half by 2035 and by 75% by 2050,” Dyess said. “This plan will have goals and it will have action items and so forth to help us reach that target.”

Between 2018 and 2022, Foley witnessed a total of 5,218 reported traffic accidents within its city limits, resulting in 17 fatalities and 140 serious injuries. The majority of these accidents, 97.5%, involved cars or trucks. However, accidents involving motorcycles, pedestrians and bicycles were disproportionately more likely to result in severe injuries or fatalities.

Further analysis revealed various contributing factors to accidents, including improper safety equipment usage, aggressive driving, and distracted or intoxicated drivers. Studies presented at a recent meeting identified intersections with high accident density, particularly along Alabama Highway 59 where it intersects with Baldwin County 20, Pride Drive and Orange Avenue, as well as intersections along the Foley Beach Express.

The comprehensive plan will encompass education campaigns, policy updates, and other measures to promote road safety and responsible driving behaviors. Additionally, the city will closely monitor the plan's effectiveness in reducing fatalities and injuries on Foley's roads, with progress reports to be made public.

Foley officials will collaborate with the Alabama Department of Transportation, Baldwin County, law enforcement agencies, community organizations and other stakeholders to implement the plan's initiatives and strategies.