Community 

Westside Trail Construction

By John Becker, Communications Coordinator, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership

Later this year, something very special will happen on Atlanta’s Westside: the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail will open to the public.

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. began construction of the Westside Trail in the Fall of 2014. This new trail is the next phase of shared-use trails, greenspaces, and preservation for the future streetcar transit corridor on the 22-mile loop of the Atlanta BeltLine. When complete, the new segment will be a 3-mile bicycle and pedestrian-safe transportation corridor – running from Washington Park and Lena Ave. to University Ave. in Adair Park – with 14 access points, 11 of which will be ADA-accessible.

This unprecedented infrastructure investment in southwest Atlanta comes with the following:

  • 14ft wide multi-use trail
  • 40 acres of greenway will envelope the trail
  • Direct connections to four area parks
  • Immediate access to multiple MARTA bus routes and walking distance from two MARTA rail stations
  • A dedicated APD PATH Force public safety unit already patrols the corridor on foot and by bike
  • Integrated lighting and safety features will be installed along the trail and at all access points
  • An Urban Farm agricultural site is under development at the south end of the trail in Adair Park

When complete, the Westside Trail has the potential to be a major redevelopment catalyst similar to the Eastside Trail, which opened in 2012 and has already generated $860 million in redevelopment within a half mile of the trail. The trail will offer numerous benefits to the surrounding community, including:

  • Easy connections to four area schools
  • Improved access to public transit with connections between emerging economic zones
  • Quality of life benefits with more jobs, more connectivity and more equitability around the Atlanta BeltLine project

 

Funding for the $43 million project came from state and local public contributions ($15 million), a Tiger V grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation ($18 million), and donations from private philanthropic groups and individuals ($10 million).

 

We look forward to celebrating the Westside Trail with you when it opens later this year. You can read more about the Westside Trail project at www.beltline.org/westsidetrail .

 

 

 

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