Atlanta BeltLine Northwest Trail Feasibility Study Report and Results Announced in Public Community Meeting
Monday, May 16th, 2022
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) and PATH Foundation held a joint public meeting this evening to present the results of the Atlanta BeltLine Northwest Trail Feasibility Study. The two organizations presented the prioritized trail alignments for the majority of the corridor and determined that a portion of the three western alignments requires further study.
The original vision for the Atlanta BeltLine trail depended on acquiring abandoned and under-utilized rail corridors that formed three-quarters of a circle around the urban core of Atlanta. The northwest quadrant of the BeltLine has no such abandoned rail corridor available. Land will need to be acquired and negotiated in order to complete the 22-mile loop. This makes the Northwest Trail one of the more complicated sections to deliver, requiring careful consideration and study with community input.
“We have a multi-generational opportunity to guide the thoughtful and equitable connectivity of more 45 neighborhoods in the City of Atlanta,” said Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “We’ve been listening – and will continue to listen – to residents and businesses as we design the Northwest Trail and build out the full 22-mile multi-use trail loop.”
In order to conduct the study, the northwest corridor was divided into western and eastern study areas between Huff Road and the Armour-Ottley commercial district. The western study area focuses on the connection between the Westside Trail (along Marietta Boulevard) to Bobby Jones Golf Course where it meets the existing Northside BeltLine Connector and Northside Trail. The eastern study area focuses on connecting Bobby Jones Golf Course to the future Northeast Trail in Peachtree Hills.
Seven corridor options were identified and evaluated based on feasibility of acquiring real estate and ease of construction as well as the quality of the trail user experience, equity, and community feedback. The corridor options were then prioritized by most to least feasible, also taking into consideration the long-term benefits for the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.
Within the western study area, Corridor 2 is the prioritized option, and the corridor has been divided into three segments for implementation: Segments 3, 4, and 5. This trail alignment begins at the northern end of the Westside Trail at Huff Road and Marietta Boulevard and traverses across the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant and Howell Mill Road, across Northside Drive, under I-75, and along a portion of Tanyard Creek until it meets the southern end of the Northside Trail in Ardmore Park. The trail length as proposed would be 2.8 miles.
The eastern study area has three identified corridors – Corridors 5, 6, and 7 which are divided into two segments: Segment 1 and Segment 2. For the timing of this feasibility study and report, a final prioritization has not been determined for Segment 2 of Corridors 5, 6 and 7. The study prioritized Segment 1, where all three corridors overlap between Peachtree Park Apartments and Kinsey Court. However, further study and community engagement will take place to determine the feasibility priority for the portion of Segment 2 where the corridors do not overlap. The trail lengths for the eastern corridors range from 1.5 to 1.7 miles in total.
