Birmingham City Council Split Over I-20/59 Bridge Replacement Project

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:683;s:4:"file";s:34:"2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-466x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:466;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-397x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:397;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"MG_3156-e1454463272309-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Gina Yu
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:1:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:4735;s:6:"height";i:3157;s:4:"file";s:11:"MG_3156.jpg";}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1454468516:1
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:272131;s:14:"optimized_size";i:169788;s:7:"percent";d:37.609999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:62:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:91379;s:14:"optimized_size";i:50084;s:7:"percent";d:45.189999999999998;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6030;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4574;s:7:"percent";d:24.149999999999999;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-336x224.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:16041;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11999;s:7:"percent";d:25.199999999999999;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-771x514.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:56218;s:14:"optimized_size";i:34057;s:7:"percent";d:39.420000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:36587;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24320;s:7:"percent";d:33.530000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:18447;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12482;s:7:"percent";d:32.340000000000003;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-466x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26694;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18124;s:7:"percent";d:32.100000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/10/MG_3156-e1454463272309-397x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20735;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14148;s:7:"percent";d:31.77;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1637579189 
1454437099

Birmingham City Council President Jonathan Austin withdrew a resolution today expressing opposition to a plan from the state transportation department to rebuild and expand Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham. Critics of the plan say it cuts off neighborhoods from the city center, blunts economic development and that alternatives should be explored.

“I do believe that it has created a social, a psychological and physical barrier between the neighborhoods just directly north of the bridge, the Berlin bridge of Birmingham is what I call it, and the central business district,” says Austin.

But supporters on the council weren’t convinced.

“Public safety to me is probably the most important because if you’re dead or injured, you don’t care where the road is,” says Councilwoman Valerie Abbott. She says the ALDOT plan isn’t perfect, but it does address dangerous traffic patterns.

Others pointed to the age of the highway, saying the city did not have time to consider alternatives. Austin is among a group of city and neighborhood leaders who have sued to stop the project.

 

 

President-elect set to shape ‘Trump judiciary’ for next generation

Legal experts predict President-elect Donald Trump will move quickly next year to cement and extend his legacy in appointing federal judges.

Mama Stamberg’s relish faces its toughest critics: NPR staffers

Susan Stamberg returns with her annual love letter to the pink pile of Thanksgiving mush known as Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish.

In this election, demographics did not determine how people voted

Groups that Democrats believed would always turn out in their favor did not do so this year. Here's how the vote shook out in the seven swing states.

In ‘Wicked: Part I’, Cynthia Erivo defies gravity — and convention — as Elphaba

Cynthia Erivo says being different had "something to do with" her role as Elphaba in 'Wicked: Part 1.'

Tesla won the plug war. Enter the age of the EV charging adapter

The auto industry is embracing Tesla's charging technology in order to share its vast Supercharger network. This is going to be a slow transition — expect to see a lot of adapters.

United Nations nuclear agency again condemns Iran for failing to fully cooperate

The resolution comes after the agency said Iran has defied demands to rein in its nuclear program and has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

More Front Page Coverage