Pensacola Councilwoman Sherri Myers last week received praise from the citizens and her fellow council members for her efforts to fund sidewalk and drainage improvements on Burgess Road.
Rev. John Phillips, organizing president of the neighborhood association that includes the road, pointed out to the council that he first brought the traffic issue to the them in April 2011.
“One of the problems in our neighborhood that has a long history is the condition of Burgess Road from Davis Highway to Sanders Street, which is in the city, and from Sanders Street to Lanier Street, which is in the county,†said Rev. Phillips. “Burgess Road, east of Davis Highway, is a very narrow, dangerous stretch of roadway. It has no curbs, no gutters, no sidewalks, and the deep ditches and driveways along most of the length make pedestrian and bicycle traffic impossible. Neither school children nor adults can walk along Burgess Road safely.â€
He said that he had challenged Mayor Ashton Hayward and other city leaders to walk the road.
“No one apparently had the courage to do so, except Council member Sherri Myers, who has gone house-to-house along the entire length from Davis to Lanier,†he told the council.
Councilman P.C. Wu said the Myers deserved the credit for getting the funds to improve Burgess Road.
“She has fought tirelessly for this project for years and years and years,†Wu said to Rev. Phillips. “I appreciate you coming down, but before we move on I want to make sure that Sherri Myers got the credit she deserves on this particular vote.â€
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Today is the deadline for Mayor Hayward to veto any items in the budget. Councilwoman Myers told Inweekly that the mayor had told her he would not veto the Burgess Road project.
