PATH Initiatives
24 Nov 2023
Multi-use trails are all the rage in Atlanta these days, and I’m a big fan. While these kinds of trails aren’t necessarily new in Atlanta, the Beltline has proven how well these trails can serve as both a transportation corridor and as an amenity for residents and visitors. There are several initiatives near me that I’ve been tracking.
Peachtree Creek Greenway
The Peachtree Creek Greenway is a multi-modal path that will connect Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Unincorporated DeKalb County, and Doraville.
This greenway, when completed, will run from Buckhead to Doraville along Buford Highway / I-85 along Peachtree Creek. There’s quite a lot of housing and businesses along this greenway, though it seems like the primary benefit of this trail in the shorter-term will be for recreation. Access to the Greenway might end up being restricted to a few trailheads, since most of the creek is quite low and not easily accessibly from neighborhood roads.
The vision includes connections with PATH400 and the north side of the Beltline, which will make it a very direct (and separated!) route into Buckhead and Atlanta.
A 1.3 mile portion of this trail is already complete and accessible (though at time of writing, the trailhead at North Druid Road is unusable due to construction). The photos of this section look very nice.
Tucker PATH
The master plan for Tucker’s multi-use trails covers 32 miles across the city (and a little beyond). The proposed trail connects schools, parks, and businesses. While only a very small section has been completed so far, the full vision would make it significantly easier to get around Tucker either on foot or a bicycle.
The planned vision will connect with the Peachtree Creek Greenway and Stone Mountain.
Chamblee Trail
Master Plan (I couldn’t find an actual website)
Chamblee’s existing Rail Trail has already been completed. It’s nearly 2 miles long, linking Keswick Park to Peachtree Road (and more importantly, Marta!).
The master plan for Chamblee will ensure that over 80% of Chamblee has “access to a multi-use trail or trail connector within a 10-minute walk of their homes or businesses.” The planned trail will connect with Dunwoody’s trail system and the Peachtree Creek Greenway. There’s actually quite a lot built already, especially around Downtown Chamblee and along Peachtree Boulavard.
I think this trail system will be particularly impactful. There are a lot of Chamblee residents without cars. Consequently, Buford Highway is notorious for pedestrian accidents - and it features a profitable private bus service. Several signaled pedestrian crossings have been added, but there is certainly more that can be done. An extensive multi-use trail system in Chamblee will see significant daily use among residents, and will greatly improve both access and safety.
The PATH Foundation
https://www.pathfoundation.org/
Looking through master plans for these and similar efforts across Atlanta, the PATH foundation shows up a lot. I had assumed that it was an organization that assisted with these sorts of projects across the whole country - but it turns out that the PATH Foundation is Atlanta-focused!
This organization has really kicked off multi-use trails in Atlanta. They were responsible for planning and building the Stone Mountain train and the Silver Comet Trail, and have since continued to provide assistance for trails throughout the metro area. Their mission is simple and pretty clear:
To transform Metro Atlanta into the most trail connected city in the United States and to share knowledge and experience with other communities to promote trail development.
Their website features a list of PATH projects across Metro Atlanta. In total, these trails span over 300 miles already - with many more trails actively in development.
