Huntsville is adding more miles for walkers, bikers and scooters. The city announced plans this week to expand its greenway network with two exciting projects in south and west Huntsville.

First up, a 2.4-mile multiuse path along Bailey Cove and Four Mile Post roads will link neighborhoods, schools, shopping, and the Sandra Moon Community Complex. The path will be 12 feet wide, ADA-compliant, and include new safety features at the busy Bailey Cove and Blevins Gap intersection, including better crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and traffic-calming measures.

Meanwhile, Phase II of the Miller Branch Greenway will stretch 1.6 miles in west Huntsville, running along Miller Branch Creek and moving closer to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Once finished, this trail will connect to a larger network that links parks, preserves, and other greenways for nearly 30 miles of continuous trails in the west Huntsville corridor.

Mayor Tommy Battle said the greenways are more than just trails. “These paths connect neighborhoods to schools, jobs, shopping and parks,” he said. “They give our residents and visitors safe, multimodal options for how they move throughout our city.”

Both projects are funded in part through the Transportation Alternatives Program, a federal program administered by the Alabama Department of Transportation. The Bailey Cove path will cost roughly $1.8 million, with $800,000 from TAP funds, while Miller Branch Phase II totals $1 million, with nearly $800,000 from TAP and the rest from city funds.

Huntsville currently boasts about 130 miles of greenways, bikeways and trails, with more added each year. Construction timelines will be announced once final engineering and coordination with ALDOT are complete, but residents can start daydreaming about longer walks, safer bike rides, and even more weekend adventures on the city’s growing trail system.