Atlantans can now walk, run or bike through several historic neighborhoods on a new, 1.7-mile path that stretches from downtown to the future Beltline trail on Atlanta’s Westside.
The paved trail, called the Westside Beltline Connector, runs from the intersection of Northside Drive and Ivan Allen Boulevard in Vine City, near the Georgia World Congress Center, to the future Beltline Westside Trail just east of Marietta Boulevard. It goes through parts of English Avenue and Bankhead.
“This new trail segment is an unprecedented connection for the Atlanta BeltLine, tying together some of our most under-resourced neighborhoods, several emerging job centers, and our expansive network of parks around the loop,” Clyde Higgs, the president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. said in a statement.
The paved trail was built by the PATH Foundation in partnership with the Beltline and the city of Atlanta, according to the Beltline, which announced the opening of the trail this week.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the new path “gives Atlantans the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of our city.” Councilman Antonio Brown, who represents the area, said the trail provides an important connection to the greater Beltline system for Vine City and English Avenue residents.
Eventually, the PATH Foundation hopes to link the Westside Beltline Connector to the Silver Comet Trail in Cobb County with a new, 10-mile trail. The Silver Comet trail currently runs from Smyrna to the Georgia-Alabama state line.
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