VALDOSTA – The City of Valdosta will be improving 19 streets.

The Valdosta City Council is expected to vote on bids for upcoming street projects Thursday, February 21.

The streets on the list to be resurfaced are part of the 2019 Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant, valued at more than $600,000 from the Georgia Department of Transportation.

In order to receive the grant, the city would have to match about $60,000 in its own funding.

The streets include:

• E. Jane Street (from N Troup to N Forrest)
• E. Magnolia Street (from N Forrest to Railroad Ave)
• Penny Place (from Lake Park Rd to End)
• Lee Street (from E Gordon St to E Central Ave)
• Troup Street (from E Central Ave to MLK Dr)
• Highway Place (from Fountain Ave to Smith Ave)
• Dunwoody Drive (from Orange St to Holgate Pl)
• Dunwoody Circle (from Dunwoody Dr to End)
• Johnson Street (from W Mary St to W Gordon St)
• W. Gordon Street (from Hightower St to Smith St)
• E. Park Avenue (from Slater St to N Ashley St)
• Giddens Drive (from Seymour St to Moody Dr)
• Oxford Drive (from Seymour St to Moody Dr)
• Knox Drive (from Seymour St to Moody Dr)
• Georgia Avenue (from Howell Brook Dr to Gornto Rd)
• Mack Drive (from Georgia Ave to Gornto Rd)
• Riverhill Drive (from N Sherwood Dr to Riverside Dr)
• Riverside Drive (from Woodvalley Dr to End)
• Buena Vista Circle (from 2507 to End)

Thursday’s council meeting is also expected to vote on amending an ordinance for renaming and closing streets and alleys.

Last summer, local civil rights activist group The People’s Tribunal petitioned to rename Forrest Street to Barack Obama Boulevard. When organizers brought the petition forward, staff said it fell short of the 60 percent of total parcel signatures needed to be considered by the city council.

Shortly afterwards, city officials enacted a 180 day moratorium on street name changes in order to clarify the ordinance, which staff said is more than 30 years old.