Hollywood pedestrian bridge supporters hold fundraising run
A few hundred runners showed up bright and early Saturday morning for a "run social" to fundraise and show their support for construction of a pedestrian bridge on Hollywood Boulevard.
The Sept. 29 event was hosted by the Birmingham Track Club and the Trak Shak. Several representatives of the governmental groups working on the bridge project were also there, including Homewood City Councilors Jennifer Andress and Peter Wright, Birmingham City Councilor Darrell O'Quinn, incoming Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons, State Rep. David Faulkner and former State Rep. Paul DeMarco.
Andress said proceeds raised through run entry fees, T-shirt sales and donations were handled by the BTC and would be given to the cooperative district being formed by the involved municipalities to complete the project.
The pedestrian bridge, which will be a separate pedestrian path built across U.S. 280 on the north side of the existing bridge, will require more than $1.1 million in funding, Andress said. Homewood, Mountain Brook and Jefferson County's representatives in the state Legislature have already committed some of this funding.
At the run social on Saturday, runners could choose from 15-mile, 10-mile or 5-mile courses, with start times staggered from 6 to 7 a.m. Starting and ending in the parking lot of Over Easy and Mexico Lindo, the participants also got breakfast from Over Easy, door prizes and giveaways from the other sponsors of the event, including Raymond James, Cahaba Brewing and Hydralive Therapy.
"This is such a huge community effort," Andress said.
Ammons, a former runner himself, said he supported the bridge and the Jefferson County Commission's donation to the project because "I always did my training in Homewood and Mountain Brook because the connectivity and walkability was so much better."
"I'm a big fan of walkable communities," he said.
Jerri Haslem, a member of the Birmingham Track Club and co-founder of the regional group Black People Run Bike and Swim, said she supports the pedestrian bridge as a safety measure. Runners frequently cross between cities or busy roads as part of their runs, she said, and pedestrians need more safe paths and awareness from drivers.
Haslem said a member of Black People Run Bike and Swim was accidentally killed while on a run.
"It's so important for the safety and building of our community," she said.
Andress said some of the funding for the pedestrian bridge becomes available Monday, Oct. 1, but there are still details to finalize about the cooperative district and funding before construction begins.