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Members of the community gathered at the city council chambers Thursday afternoon to give their input on the city’s improvement plans for Shotwell and Scott Street. This is the third meeting out of five that has been held, with the previous meeting having been held in April. The consulting firm Robert & Company has been responsible for conducting studies of this area and holding these meetings.

Before the public input section of the meeting, consultant John Ford gave a presentation on the firm’s findings about the streets and the surrounding area, both the residential and business areas. The firm divided the city of Bainbridge into census tract block groups, and used this tract-style map to keep track of statistics like population and per capita income for the areas surrounding Scott and Shotwell. They also monitored traffic counts from 2022 at various points along the streets, with the heaviest traffic being an estimated 13,000 cars passing by Winn-Dixie. A demographic and housing analysis were both also presented.

Ford also presented various strengths and weaknesses about the roads, with some of the listed weaknesses including the streets being too automobile-centric, with not enough sidewalk along parts of Scott Street and a lack of sidewalk shade and conflicts with turning traffic at other spots. Other issues, such as businesses on Tallahassee Highway competing with the Shotwell and Scott Street businesses, as well as the aging infrastructure of public housing, were also addressed.

During the public input section of the meeting, members of the community were free to ask questions and discuss their own concerns. Some issues raised included lack of sidewalks, lack of crosswalks, and areas that needed better lighting. Other varied factors present on the streets which affect the rest of the community were also discussed, such as Memorial Hospital’s potential draw people to the community, or the lack of entertainment amenities like the theater and bowling alley.

The next meeting on the road planning is scheduled for July 20 at 5:30 PM, at the Potter Street Community Center.