Beltline adds 1.22-mile segment to its Westside Trail

A new Beltline trail — one that will link Atlanta's Downtown and westside neighborhoods closer to the city's newest park, Microsoft's proposed 70-acre campus and the Chattahoochee River — is officially open.

Driving the news: City, county and Beltline officials last week cut the ribbon on a 1.22-mile segment of the Westside Trail.

Details: Stretching from Law Street up Marietta Boulevard to Huff Road, the segment hooks up with a recently opened path through English Avenue that arcs past the Trap Music Museum and the under-construction Echo West development.

State of play: Put together, the new trails give Grove Park, English Avenue, Vine City and many other communities a safer route and exercise option and nudge the city's bicycle trail network closer to accessing the Chattahoochee River and Silver Comet.

Yes, but: Relatively smaller (but just as important) segments connecting to southwest Atlanta neighborhoods and Proctor Creek Greenway (and by extension Westside Park) are still in the works.

• Until they're built, people traveling from southwest Atlanta have to find a safe on-road route to reach this area.

The big picture: Designed with cars in mind, the roads in this swath of northwest Atlanta can be difficult at best and deadly at worst for bicyclists and pedestrians.

• Bike lanes and wide sidewalks connecting people to places make life easier and safer for everyone involved.

What's next: On Nov. 3, Beltline officials will hold a meeting to discuss the design of the next trail that passes along the northern edge of Blandtown and the city reservoir.