1.3-mile trail links Sparkman Drive to Alabama A&M University; final stretch to campus set for spring 2027
SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
North Huntsville has a new greenway, named for the woman who spent years arguing that her side of town deserved one.
City leaders cut the ribbon on the Meek Greenway, a 1.3-mile paved trail connecting Sparkman Drive to Alabama A&M University, the City of Huntsville announced Nov. 5. The trail honors Opal Meek, a longtime community advocate and neighborhood association leader.
For north Huntsville, the opening means more than a new place to walk. The greenway ties surrounding neighborhoods to Alabama A&M, one of Alabama’s historically Black universities, giving students and residents an off-road route between campus and community. Mayor Tommy Battle said well-planned projects like it connect neighborhoods to destinations such as work, school, and retail.
It also answers a complaint Meek made when the City unveiled the project in 2023. “North Huntsville doesn’t have any greenways,” she said then. “South Huntsville has greenways.”
What’s open now
The 12-foot-wide greenway includes a raised pedestrian crossing and a parking area at Mastin Lake Road, where the grand opening was held. Construction began in 2023.
A final 0.35-mile segment connecting the trail to campus, including a new connector road, is slated to begin in spring 2027, according to the City. When finished, the route will total about 1.65 miles, the length the City described at the 2023 unveiling.
A tribute years in the making
Meek, a native of Hollywood, Alabama, retired after 42 years as a government secretary. She has credited years of attending public meetings for her activism and her volunteer work with the Green Team. She learned at a 2018 community meeting that the greenway would bear her name.
“Opal Meek has dedicated her time to making north Huntsville a better place, and naming this greenway in her honor is a fitting tribute to the lasting impact she has made,” Battle said.
At the opening, Meek thanked supporters. “I appreciate any and all support for this area,” she said. “We’re going to enjoy this greenway for years to come!”
District 1 Council Member Michelle Watkins said the greenway “creates a valuable connection between Alabama A&M University and the surrounding community.” She added that it gives residents and students another way to “enjoy the outdoors, stay active and connect with the area around them.”
Parks and Recreation Director James Gossett told WAFF that new outdoor space matters most where it has been missing. “Anytime we can have an additional space in communities that didn’t have it, this allows them to be in nature a little bit,” he said.
Plan your visit: Parking is available at the Mastin Lake Road trailhead, and the trail is open to walkers, runners, and cyclists. A map of the Meek Greenway is posted on the City’s website, huntsvilleal.gov.