B2A3256 — Mayor Steven Reed (City of Montgomery)

Montgomery residents got an annual update from Mayor Steven Reed this week as he took the stage for his sixth State of the City Address.

Hundreds of people gathered in the auditorium at Vaughn Forest Church while thousands more joined virtually through several streaming options. Reed focused on work being done across Montgomery to push the state’s capital forward on several fronts, speaking on the successes of 2025 while keeping an eye on what comes next.

“Momentum isn’t a slogan. It’s a discipline—how we decide, how we invest, and how we measure whether government is actually working for people.”
Steven Reed, Montgomery mayor

Keep reading for five of our key takeaways from Reed’s speech.

Montgomery Momentum

Sheridan 5 — Mayor Steven Reed speaks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. (City of Montgomery)

The theme of the night was Montgomery Momentum as the city highlighted projects and initiatives that they say are focused on making life easier for the city’s families rather than trying to make headlines.

Reed specifically talked about the Montgomery Forward initiative which has completed more than $50 million in projects since launching in 2022.

Some of the work has included:

Crump Senior Center
Chisholm Community Center
Sheridan Heights Community Center
Fire Station 10
Lagoon Park Softball Complex

“Progress doesn’t belong to City Hall. It belongs to the people—the workers, students, entrepreneurs, seniors, service members, and families who make this city what it is.”
Steven Reed

Public safety

Reed took several minutes to highlight improvements to public safety across the city in the past year. He called it the foundation for other success stories in Montgomery.

By the end of 2025, Reed said overall crime had declined by approximately 15 percent, with non-violent crime down more than 25 percent and violent crime down 12 percent.

“Not just about the data, it’s about the perception, the feeling, the thought… We don’t get lost in numbers… We are making a difference but we will not be complacent.”

But Reed also said it’s not just about the crime rates, it’s also about care. The mayor specifically pointed to the installation of a safe haven baby box at a new fire station.

City Services

In 2025, the city has put in a lot of work to improve infrastructure from aesthetics to every day usage. Some of the work done included:

Paving 9.5 miles of road
Repairing 8,000 feet of sidewalks
Fixing 6,500 potholes
Cleaning 3,700 feet of curbs/gutter
Cutting down 341 miles of roadside vegetation

Reed also pointed to the growing popularity of the city’s 311 system which allows residents to call in quick projects they see around the city. Montgomery says nearly 90 percent of all service requests from the 311 line have been completed within 7 days.

Choice Neighborhoods Initiative

Historic Montgomery hotel to be protected by The Conservation Fund

Another part of Reed’s revitalization message was about creating more opportunities for areas of the city who have not seen as much progress in recent years.

“It’s important for us to bring back infield development and urban renewal focus on these type of communities… It’s important for those that live there and those that want to live there to know theres a future for neighborhoods that for too long have felt left behind.”

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) supports the development of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization which focuses on directing resources to address three core goals: Housing, People and Neighborhoods.

Reed specifically pointed to the communities of Centennial Hill and Paterson Court, which hold historic significance as the home of several people who helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Montgomery to Selma March to the Civil Rights Movement.

Looking forward

Alabama State breaks ground on $87M student housing project

While Reed mostly focused on what the city accomplished in 2025, he made sure the audience knew the progress wasn’t stopping here.

The mayor mentioned that blight removal has to come with planned next steps, making sure buildings are “not just torn down but put back on our rolls for development and future use.”

Other future projects mentioned by the mayor included: