Mobile announces downtown street changes and Amtrak Mardi Gras service launch

City officials told the Mobile City Council on Aug. 12 that the Downtown Street Optimization Plan will begin replacing 26 traffic signals with four-way stop signs and that Amtrak’s Mardi Gras passenger rail service will resume Aug. 18 with improvements to the station parking lot.

The announcements came during communications delivered on behalf of Mayor Stimpson. The Downtown Street Optimization work will include new ADA ramps, restriping of crosswalks and other measures intended to improve pedestrian access and the flow of traffic in the downtown business district.

A representative of Mayor Stimpson’s office said, “All 26 signals will begin flashing tomorrow on August 13. They will continue for 90 days when the signals will be removed and replaced with stop signs.” The office described the flashing period as a transition to help drivers adjust before permanent changes are made.

Officials also announced the first run of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras service is scheduled for Monday morning, Aug. 18, and said city crews have repaved and restriped the station parking lot. The representative credited local partners and a private donor, saying, “there's a special thanks to Nick Amberger, who worked with Amtrak to help pay for this paving and restriping so that we have a brand new fresh facility instead of an old parking lot with a new platform.”

Why it matters: the signal conversions and crosswalk improvements are presented as pedestrian-safety and business-access measures for downtown; the Amtrak service restores a regional passenger-rail connection and includes a newly paved lot the city said it completed with partner support.

The city directed listeners to amtrak.com for ticketing information and said it will provide updates as work continues downtown.