Forest Brook residents gathering support for neighborhood sidewalks

A group of Forest Brook residents want to see Homewood's emphasis on walkability extend into their neighborhood by constructing new sidewalks.

Jennifer Wright, a Forest Brook resident who formerly lived in Edgewood, said she recalls when sidewalks were built on Morris Boulevard, and she'd like to see something similar in front of her own home.

“It made just walking or having my kids go to other friends’ houses … just so much safer along a busy road,” Wright said. “Through all of Homewood you can see what a priority it is, except in Forest Brook.” 

Wright is one of several neighbors who began thinking about sidewalks about a month ago. On July 22, they had a "rally" for people to ask questions about the possibility of sidewalks and show support for such a project. They've also begun canvassing the Forest Brook area with a petition. They're about a quarter of the way through all the residences in the area, Wright estimated, and have 100 signatures on their petition so far.

“People have been really excited about it,” Wright said. “It’s something that’s highly desirable.”

Connecting residents to the greenway, the high school and other areas of Homewood via footpath has been popular among most of the neighbors she's met, Wright said. Though Forest Brook is a residential, not commercial, area, she said there's still plenty of cut-through traffic from vehicles traveling through Homewood and Hoover.

“There’s a lot more kids now," Wright said. "Everyone has a story about the time they were almost hit by a car.”

Wright said their first goal is to canvass the entire neighborhood to gauge the level of support for a sidewalk project and any potential concerns. She said she hopes to get a chance to present the idea to the city council, perhaps in September.