4 days ago
535 miles of trails could one day crisscross Atlanta
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.
