The Atlanta Beltline broke ground Oct. 22 on Northwest Trail Segment 2A, a 0.3-mile section that connects to the completed Northside Trail and Northwest Connector Trail.
The segment moves the Beltline closer to completing the 22-mile mainline trail loop by 2030.
Segment 2A is Section A of Northwest Trail Segment 2, a 0.7-mile stretch that begins at the southeast corner of Bobby Jones Golf Course and runs east along Colonial Hills Circle. The Beltline divided Segment 2 into three sections. Section A starts at Bobby Jones Golf Course and ends at the northeast end of the Georgia Power Company substation, and it covers 0.3 miles. Section B covers 0.3 miles and Section C covers 0.1 miles.
“This segment showcases the Beltline’s transformative power by demonstrating how infrastructure can do more than connect places, it can connect people to opportunity,” Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc., said in a press release. “This area of Buckhead is home to Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the largest employer along the Beltline corridor, Shepherd Center, and numerous other job centers. This trail will help connect people to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, and other essential services. We’re not just building trails. We’re investing in infrastructure that improves quality of life, expands economic opportunity and strengthens neighborhoods. The Beltline is helping demonstrate what’s possible when connectivity, economic opportunity and community needs are part of the same vision.”
Unlike much of the Beltline, which follows former freight rail corridors, the Northwest Trail does not have an existing rail corridor to build upon.
Land acquisition has played a critical role in moving the Northwest Trail forward, according to the press release. Over two years, the Beltline acquired 3.2 acres around 2110 Peachtree Road to support the future Northwest Trail, affordable housing, and affordable commercial space.
The project also includes a temporary trail connection that will provide trail users access to Peachtree Road, where new pedestrian-friendly traffic signals will support safer crossings and improve connectivity while the remaining sections are completed.
RELATED STORY: Atlanta Beltline secures final property to complete 22-mile trail
