535 miles of trails could one day crisscross Atlanta
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The proposed Valley of the Hawks Trail would link westside neighborhoods to the Beltline and other trails. Rendering: Courtesy of the PATH Foundation/Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department
Atlanta now has a clear blueprint for building hundreds of miles of trails connecting all corners of the city.
Why it matters: The 535-mile Trails ATL plan — the city's first trails master plan in more than 30 years — prioritizes new ways to travel seamlessly and safely from neighborhood to neighborhood without a car.
Zoom in: The 186-page plan calls for creating greenways — park-like trails along waterways or through forest areas — and protected lanes for bicyclists, pedestrians and wheelchair users across Atlanta.
- Several projects like the Valley of the Hawks Trail and Emerald Greenway would create new ways to travel under MARTA tracks and interstates.
- The Whitewater Greenway would run along the Chattahoochee River and connect to the Lovett School.
- Smaller projects, like a small spur connecting to the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail, could have a big impact in terms of connections.
By the numbers: According to the plan, 37% of Atlanta residents have access to an "all-ages, all-abilities" trail within a 10-minute walk or wheelchair ride.
- Officials say the proposed trails and connections in the plan could boost that to roughly 95% by 2052.
Reality check: Plans without funding fit nicely on a shelf.
- Building out the vision will require dedicated funding, political will and constituent support, Rebecca Serna, the executive director of Propel ATL, told Axios.
What's next: The plan's $252 million, 35-mile first phase calls for greenways and protected street trails in neighborhoods including Lakewood Heights, South Atlanta and Buckhead, plus a new trail system throughout southwest Atlanta communities.
- Phases 2 and 3 would construct more than 380 miles of new trails.
🚴 Thomas' thought bubble: I've been burned on city plans in the past but as a bicyclist I'm holding out hope these projects come to fruition.
- We've built a pretty brutal city to move around if you're not in an automobile; these projects give people a new way to travel.
