The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday set a public hearing for the East Lake “Project Safe Streets” pilot program for Jan. 14 during the council’s regular meeting at City Hall.

As part of the project, which started in July, city officials placed barriers at more than 20 street intersections in the East Lake neighborhood. Blocking the intersections limits the entry and exit points for criminals. City officials say this technique, which has been used in other cities, reduces crime.

The initiative has shown marked success, Mayor Randall Woodfin told the council during a meeting in October. In just more than 80 days of the program, he said, police seized 19 firearms and made 140 arrests.

The pilot program also included traffic calming efforts and increased code enforcement work to identify and address abandoned properties. The mayor said that since the start of Safe Streets to Oct. 1, police issued 559 traffic citations and city officials established five drug nuisance abatement cases.

“I want to thank those residents who stepped up and have been a part of the solution. I think these measures are a huge step in the right direction towards stabilizing the community,” Councilor J.T. Moore was quoted as saying in a Tuesday release. “I have residents who have shared with me their thoughts on this solution and how they appreciate it. This isn’t far from my home and I’ll tell you, people do speed, and I see kids playing near the road all the time. Being able to slow that traffic down is a big deal … . I know for a fact that with the success of this pilot program, this same strategy could be deployed elsewhere.”

According to the mayor’s administration, citizen engagement and planning with this pilot program began in April, with 90% of respondents being in favor of this pilot program prior to its deployment. This included a town hall meeting, neighborhood association meetings and knocking on about 500 doors in the community.