Hinton Secures FY 2025 Grant for Avis Main Street Sidewalk Design
Hinton Mayor Jack Scott has announced that the City of Hinton has been awarded a FY 2025 Transportation Alternatives Grant for the Phase II design of the Avis Main Street sidewalks, marking the next step in a broader effort to improve pedestrian access, safety, and appearance in the Avis community.
The grant will support design work for sidewalks along Main Street in Avis. It follows the Pleasant Street sidewalk improvements, which are now nearing completion and have already changed the look and feel of the area.
Mayor Scott said the next phase builds on a project that residents and visitors can already see taking shape.
“This second phase will complement the Pleasant Street Sidewalk improvements that are now nearing completion. It is worth a drive through Avis anytime and especially at night just to see the visual and safety effect of this wonderful improvement to our Avis community.”
The project is part of a continued push to make local streets safer and more accessible for pedestrians while also improving the public spaces that shape daily life in Hinton, West Virginia.
The new grant moves Avis Main Street into its design phase
The FY 2025 Transportation Alternatives Grant will fund the design phase for sidewalks along Avis Main Street. Design work is an early but important part of any public sidewalk project. It helps determine where improvements can be built, how they will connect to existing streets and walkways, and what needs to happen before construction can begin.
For residents, the design stage may not look as dramatic as freshly poured concrete or new lighting. Still, it is where many practical decisions get made.
A sidewalk project must account for:
Existing road widths and rights of way
Drainage and stormwater flow
Driveway access
Utility locations
Pedestrian crossings
Grades and slopes
Accessibility needs
Connections to nearby streets and public areas
A good design can help prevent delays later. It can also reduce disruptions during construction by identifying issues before crews are working in the street.
The City of Hinton’s latest award shows that the improvements in Avis are not being treated as a one-time project. Instead, the work is moving in phases, with each section building toward a more complete sidewalk network.
Pleasant Street set the stage for the next round of improvements
The Phase II design grant follows the Pleasant Street sidewalk project, which began with an initial Transportation Alternatives planning grant awarded in early July 2020. That first phase required more planning time, according to Mayor Scott, but the city expects the next phase to progress more quickly.
That is common with multi-phase infrastructure work. A first project often has to answer the hardest early questions. City leaders, engineers, grant administrators, and contractors must work through the planning process, project scope, design details, approvals, and construction logistics.
Once that foundation is in place, later phases can often move with more certainty.
Pleasant Street also gives the city a visible example of what sidewalk improvements can do. Instead of discussing the idea in the abstract, residents can see the difference on the ground. New sidewalks can make a street easier to walk, easier to navigate at night, and more welcoming.
Mayor Scott pointed to both the visual and safety impact of the Pleasant Street work, especially after dark. That detail matters. Sidewalks are not only daytime infrastructure. Evening visibility, safe footing, and clearer separation between pedestrians and vehicles all affect how comfortable a street feels.
Sidewalks support safety, access, health, and local value
Sidewalk projects may look simple, but their impact reaches across several parts of community life.
The most immediate benefit is pedestrian safety. A defined walkway gives people a safer place to travel outside the vehicle lane. That matters for children, older residents, people walking to a neighbor’s house, and anyone moving through the area on foot.
Sidewalks also support accessibility. Well-designed sidewalks can make everyday movement easier for people using wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or other mobility aids. They can also help communities meet applicable access standards, including those tied to the Americans with Disabilities Act where required.
There is also a public health benefit. Walkable streets encourage short trips on foot. A community does not need a major trail system for walking to become part of daily life. Sometimes, a safe sidewalk along the right street is enough to make a short walk feel possible.
Local economic value is another part of the equation. Streets that are safer, cleaner, and easier to navigate can improve the impression of a neighborhood or business area. The Avis streetscape, especially as more sidewalk phases are planned and completed, can help shape how residents and visitors experience the community.
These benefits build over time. A single sidewalk segment helps. A connected set of sidewalks helps more.
McClannahan Construction earns praise for Pleasant Street work
Mayor Scott also thanked McClannahan Construction of Poca, West Virginia, for its work on the Pleasant Street project. According to the mayor, the contractor completed the project in a timely way, with little or no traffic concerns, and with professional expertise.
“A big ‘Thank You’ to all the workers for McClannahan Construction.”
For local infrastructure projects, that kind of performance matters. Sidewalk construction happens close to homes, roads, driveways, and daily routines. Even a relatively small project can affect parking, traffic flow, pedestrian movement, and access to private property.
When crews complete work with limited disruption, it can build public confidence in future phases. Residents are more likely to support continued improvements when they have already seen a project handled carefully.
Construction work also depends on coordination. Crews must manage site conditions, weather, concrete work, traffic control, and safety procedures. In older communities, they may also encounter unexpected conditions beneath or beside the road.
The Pleasant Street experience gives Hinton a useful reference point as it prepares for the next design phase on Avis Main Street.
The WV Division of Highways remains a key partner
Mayor Scott expressed appreciation for the West Virginia Division of Highways, which plays an important role in Transportation Alternatives awards and related project work.
“We are so thankful and appreciative of the WV Division of Highways for these awards. We look forward to this continued professional working relationship.”
Transportation Alternatives funding is often used for projects that improve options beyond standard vehicle travel. Eligible work can include sidewalks, pedestrian paths, bike facilities, safe routes, and related improvements, depending on program rules and project approval.
For smaller cities, these grants can be especially important. Sidewalk projects require planning, design, engineering, materials, construction crews, and oversight. Grant funding can help communities move forward with work that might otherwise be delayed.
The city’s successful award for Phase II suggests that state partners see value in continuing the sidewalk improvements in Avis. It also keeps momentum going after the Pleasant Street work.
Phase III plans point toward the West End
The city is already looking beyond Avis Main Street.
Mayor Scott said future plans for Phase III include Temple and Summers Streets in the West End, including avenues. That would extend the broader sidewalk improvement effort into another part of the city and continue the phased approach.
A phased plan has several advantages. It allows the city to:
Focus on one project area at a time
Apply lessons from earlier work
Manage funding in a practical way
Reduce construction impacts across the community
Build public support as improvements become visible
The move from Pleasant Street to Avis Main Street, then toward Temple and Summers Streets, shows a long-range view. The city is not only fixing isolated stretches of sidewalk. It is working toward a more connected and useful pedestrian system.
That approach matters because sidewalks work best when they connect. A safe block is helpful. A safe route is better.
What residents can expect next
Because this grant is for design, residents should expect planning and technical work before any future construction begins on Avis Main Street. That may include site review, engineering, coordination with state officials, and preparation of plans needed for the next stage.
The city has not announced a construction schedule for the Main Street sidewalk work in the provided announcement. It is also not yet clear when Phase II will move from design to construction. Those details typically depend on design progress, approvals, funding steps, and project readiness.
Still, the grant award is a concrete step forward. It means the city can begin the formal work needed to prepare the Main Street sidewalk phase.
The Pleasant Street project also gives the community a nearby example of the kind of result the city wants to build upon. As that work nears completion, the next phase can move ahead with more experience and clearer expectations.
A steady investment in safer local streets
The FY 2025 Transportation Alternatives Grant for Avis Main Street design gives Hinton another step toward safer, more accessible streets.
Pleasant Street has already shown what sidewalk improvements can add to the Avis community. The next phase will carry that work forward through design on Main Street, while future plans point toward Temple and Summers Streets in the West End.
Mayor Scott’s announcement reflects gratitude for the WV Division of Highways, recognition for the contractor that completed the Pleasant Street work, and a clear signal that sidewalk improvements remain part of the city’s long-term plans.
For Avis, the value is practical and visible. Better sidewalks can make a street safer to walk, easier to access, and more inviting day and night. As each phase moves ahead, Hinton continues building a stronger pedestrian network one street at a time.
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