Is Atlanta in a funk? Is our star dimming, as cities across the South like Dallas and Austin, Texas, use smart transit to polish their images and pull in jobs?
While Atlanta is still a great city with big opportunities, there’s no question we have serious shortcomings in transportation. The upside is that we’re in a great position to make some cutting-edge developments that put positive attention on our city again.
What we have is a beautiful system of greenways and trails. What we can do is quickly — and cheaply — expand this system to truly make Atlanta the envy of every city in the South, and perhaps the nation.
During the past 20 years, the PATH Foundation, in partnership with all levels of government, has quietly constructed 150 miles of greenway trails in and around Atlanta. Today, the strands of this labyrinth are just waiting to be connected. Once they are, we’ll have a world-class greenway system that will be a boon for everyone from bicycle commuters to recreational users.
Imagine a network of connected greenways and trails for walkers, runners and cyclists weaving through almost every Atlanta neighborhood. It would touch parks, shopping areas, neighborhoods and employment centers. Picture tree-lined spaces where toddlers learn how to ride a bike and adults meet to play chess, conduct outdoor classes, picnic, read, study and get to know their neighbors. Consider the joy of biking or walking to the office each morning rather than the hassle and expense of driving a car.
We are much closer to realizing this vision than you might think, because we’re adding to our greenway system every day.
A greenway trail system will be a magnet for jobs, encouraging employers to locate in a city that is rich with amenities and smart enough to find a green answer to traffic woes. There’s no reason people need to imagine Portland, Ore., when they think about trails. Atlanta can be a great city for trails, too — and not just freeways.
Bicycle and walking corridors such as the ones created for the Atlanta Beltline Trail and the Georgia 400 Trail already are becoming popular destinations for new businesses and residents. In those areas, new homes are being built, existing homes sell rapidly, and shops and businesses thrive.
It’s no mystery why a house near a bicycle and walking trail is worth 10-15 percent more. Trails look great, provide a variety of recreational amenities and encourage good folks and families to recreate and socialize outdoors.
When we are a fully greenway-connected city, desirable addresses will be defined by their proximity to trails rather than the interstate. More people will choose to live on the greenway rather than fighting their way in from the suburbs, allowing us to compete with other cities on quality of life.
Atlanta has always been about growth and the future. But other cities have taken some of our luster. What better way to regain the spotlight than by finishing a network of greenways and trails? We can link the Atlanta BeltLine Trail and Centennial Olympic Park to most Atlanta neighborhoods, giving us something no other city has.
Building a network of trails will not solve all the problems facing our city. But this is a practical, affordable program that many business and community leaders already support. Most of the planning tools are in place, and fundraising initiatives are ready. This vision just needs to be adopted as a priority so implementation can begin and we can win back our place as the South’s most-admired city.
You can help Atlanta make this bold move. Tell your public officials to support park and green space funding. Make a donation to PATH to help us match public funds. Other cities don’t have assets like the Atlanta Beltline project, the PATH Foundation and city leaders who have a thirst to get back on top. The combination is a formula for success. Let’s connect Atlanta with greenways and show the South we are still No. 1.
Ed McBrayer is executive director of the PATH Foundation.
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