Atlanta Beltline officials on Tuesday outlined the path they hope to take through Buckhead to eventually complete the last stretch of the 22-mile trail.
To connect the existing trail at Bobby Jones Golf Course with the Lindbergh area, the Beltline is aiming to cut behind homes in the Collier Hills North neighborhood, run alongside Bennett Street, across Peachtree Road and along Peachtree Creek.
The announcement followed a months-long study that looked at several different options for the trail. The Beltline’s Northwest Trail is the most complicated portion to build because it is the only part of the loop without an existing abandoned rail corridor, forcing the agency to cut through neighborhoods and commercial areas to complete the path.
Credit: Courtesy / Atlanta Beltline
Credit: Courtesy / Atlanta Beltline
“We are pleased to have an alignment selected for the full Northwest Trail and thrilled at the opportunity it presents for connectivity amongst many neighborhoods and business districts,” Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs said in a statement. “For the first time in our history, we have a defined path for the full 22-mile loop.”
The route announced Tuesday is the Beltline’s “prioritized” corridor. Officials emphasized that other options could still be on the table as survey, design and engineering work continues.
The debate over where the Beltline should run caused tension within Buckhead communities earlier this year, and in some cases clashes between neighbors in the southern part of Buckhead. Residents and neighborhood groups urged the Beltline to reject options that were closest to their homes, and some even believed an online mapping system meant to provide feedback was manipulated by a handful of residents to make it seem like other neighborhoods want the path more than theirs.
The path that was ultimately chosen, which is less than a mile long, was the “most strongly supported option by the community,” the Beltline said in a news release. It runs adjacent to several commercial properties, though the Beltline’s study said steepness along Peachtree Park Drive could present a challenge.
The Beltline hopes to complete the paved Northwest Trail by 2030.
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