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Street barriers in a Birmingham neighborhood targeting public safety improvements are officially staying up.

Alanah Melton has lived in East Lake for four years and her home has been shot into twice. She said she remembers the day bullets were sprayed into her son’s bedroom, shattering his window, striking his bed and toys.

In public hearing Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to continue an initiative, Project Safe Streets, which has blocked off streets and pushed resources for addressing violent crime and blight in the neighborhood.

“I’m really sorry for my neighbors who don’t have the same experience, but the barricades have been a welcome experience for us,” Melton said. “I am in favor of the project with barricades because without the barricades we would not see these results.”

Melton said she feels safer since the launch of Project Safe Streets. She said traffic has slowed and gun violence has decreased.

Project Safe Streets is a city of Birmingham pilot program that aims to make the neighborhood and city safer by deterring speeding, shootings, theft, prostitution and violent crime. The project also includes cleaning and revitalizing East Lake and limiting access points throughout the neighborhood with barriers at 18 entry points and alleys.

The project has been a controversial issue for residents with some seeing the initiative as an answered prayer and others feeling trapped by the barriers. After hearing 17 impassioned speeches from East Lake residents on both sides of the issue, Mayor Randall Woodfin promised to consider the residents’ concerns while moving the project forward.

“This is not perfect. When we look at public safety and keeping people safe, we always look at the toolbox. This is a tool from the toolbox. This is not a one-fix-all or the end-all. There’s still ample work to do for those who are not for it. We have to continue to listen to you. We have to continue to get your feedback,” Woodfin said.

Birmingham ended 2024, the deadliest year in the city’s history, with 151 homicides, breaking the city’s all-time homicide record. As the Magic City enters a new year, community members and public officials are working to make Birmingham safer.

A look at the numbers

The hearing started with a presentation of the work done throughout the pilot program, from knocking on more than 900 doors for public input, to blight removal and code enforcement throughout the neighborhood.

Since the launch of the East Lake program in July 2024, the city of Birmingham has tracked their cleanup work:

• 1,777 bags of litter picked up
• 843 tons of trash picked up
• 183 lots cut and treated
• 196 potholes repaired
• 64 housing violations
• 25 structures identified for condemnation
• 7 houses demolished

The city also worked to reduce speeding through traffic calming efforts, which include:

• 13 new stripings, crosswalks and intersections
• 9 four-way stop signs
• 7 speed cushions
• 2 streets paved

According to police, a large volume of narcotics were seized, numerous stolen vehicles were recovered and multiple firearms, including Glocks with machine gun switches, were confiscated.

The Real Time Crime Center deployed cameras and license plate readers and the Birmingham Police Department conducted targeted traffic violation operations throughout the area.

The city tracked the crimes they have addressed since launching Project Safe Streets, which include:

• 1,031 traffic citations
• 159 criminal arrests
• 20 firearms seized
• 5 drug nuisance abatement cases

In 2023, there were 4,698 calls for service and 1,011 Shotspotter alerts in the East Lake neighborhood. And in 2024, there were 3,667 calls for service and 804 Shotspotter alerts throughout the neighborhood, according to the city of Birmingham.

Many residents raised questions about how emergency service and police response times are impacted by the barriers.

City of Birmingham Fire Chief Cory Moon said response times have not been affected by the barriers. In the East Lake area, the average response time for the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Department was about seven minutes in 2023 and about six minutes in 2024, according to Moon.

Some residents were also concerned with how the barriers made the neighborhood less attractive, with some calling the barriers “tacky.”

The yellow concrete slabs currently blocking the streets were painted by local artists with black and red abstract shapes, green peace lilies and children. Some of the barriers are surrounded by potted plants and bright orange and white street signs.

The city plans to replace the concrete barriers with structures such as heavy duty guardrails in alleys and curb extension bulb outs and steel bollards in the roads.

The city predicts that the project will take about 8 to 10 months and cost $518,000 to complete.

Resident responses

Parents, business owners, teachers, new and old East Lake residents stood at the podium in front of the city council to discuss their thoughts, both positive and negative, on Project Safe Streets.

Of the 17 speakers, nine were for the continuation of the project, four were against it and four abstained from choosing a side but wanted to see amendments to the initiative going forward.

One resident said the project only provides a “false sense of security” as she still hears gunshots, picks up trash on her street every day, and experiences traffic congestion on her block.

Another resident said she feels like the barriers and additional cameras make her feel like she is being caged in and punished.

Two residents said they are against the project because it has not improved their quality of life – bullets were recently shot into their homes.

“I had an incident in my home 10 days ago where I have four bullet holes in my home… I have bullet holes in my living room, bullet holes in my kitchen. It came all the way through to my laundry room,” one resident said.

“The police that came when that event happened, never returned to my home, never were concerned about my family. Nothing has been done about it…I don’t feel safer with the barricades.”

James Jones, a teacher and safety and traffic officer at a local elementary school, said the barriers have helped to “control and calm” pickup and drop off traffic.

Brenda Jones has lived in East Lake for 40 years. She said the initiative was an answer to her prayers.

“I have been praying for years for change to take place. We have experienced so much gun violence…When the mayor called us residents together…I said, ‘God you hear us. You really hear the cries of your people in this neighborhood,’” Jones said.

“It’s a life changer for us…I am definitely for the program. I have seen tremendous change. I feel safe. I’m not afraid to go in my front yard.”

Rodquita Hendricks, an East Lake resident, said that while she appreciates the city’s intentions to deter crime through Project Safe Streets, she thinks more money and resources should be directed toward services and programs for at-risk youth.

“Although the intent is beautiful, I think we’re ignoring the root cause issue…You said a lot of these crimes are being committed by young men…What they’re missing is resources. They’re missing mentors, outreach programs. They’re missing a path that is different from the crime that they’ve seen,” Hendricks said as other residents nodded in agreement.

“I would like to challenge you all to find a solution that isn’t as great of an inconvenience and that actually speaks to the root cause issue which is lack of resources, lack of programs, lack of community outreach in that area.”