Gulf Shores, Ala. – (OBA) – Gulf Shores is looking to adopt its transportation plan for 2026 to be eligible for Rebuild Alabama Gas Tax Funds. The law was first passed in 2019, and cities and counties have to apply each year with a plan to collect the money. Gulf Shores is projected to collect $120,000 in 2025 under the plan and has received a total of $584,095 under the program.

The city council will discuss the plan in the Aug. 18 work session at 4 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.

The money will be applied to several projects in 2026, including:

• State Route 59 widening
•  Waterway East extension, phase II
•  Pedestrian bridge
•  Walking district parking/streetscape improvements, phase III
•  Medical Village Boulevard traffic signal
•   Waterway West Boulevard, phase I
•  County Road 6 improvements
•  Annual city streets resurfacing 

During the work session, the council will also:

• Hear a presentation on the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability’s summer camp program.
• Hear a presentation on the DERQ Intelligent Transportation System, an AI system that “detects and alerts on road user trajectories in real time to help agencies manage traffic flow, reduce congestion, detect and classify road user types in challenging conditions and predict road user intent,” according to the company’s website. Other services include a system that “tracks and analyzes road user behavior to help agencies understand the root cause of safety events, identify hotspots and trends, analyze ATSPMs, and recommend actions to reduce congestion and prevent potential collisions.”
• Consider declaring unneeded property owned by Gulf Shores Utilities and authorizing its disposal. Included in the list are six pickup trucks and computer components. A second resolution will detail the city’s two surplus items for August, a 2008 Freightliner dump and a 2008 Chevrolet Express van.
• Discuss amendments to the city’s purchasing manual on “internal policies and procedures as they pertain to the purchase of goods, services, and professional contracts.”
• Consider adding a zoning text amendment on parking to the Waterway Village overlay district. According to a memo from Director of Planning and Community Development Scott Stephens, “the purpose of the proposed amendment is to further promote and support compact, pedestrian-scale development and allow for reduced on-site parking requirements when adequate public parking is available in the area.”