The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners recently approved the Countywide Trails Master Plan, which will ultimately create a seamless, interconnected web of bike and pedestrian pathways for recreation, commuting or running errands.
As part of the 320-mile network of trails, the study proposes nine “Signature Trails,” regionally significant trails with amenities, connectivity between destinations and other defining features that will set the standard for the county and the region. Some, such as the Sugar Hill Greenway, are being built by cities. Others will stretch across multiple cities and connect to neighboring counties or cities. Many of the Signature Trails are included in the plan’s Core Trail Network, a series of trails that are envisioned to be built by 2040.
The long-term goal may take decades to implement depending on funding so the plan recommended some quick-win projects, such as the Western Gwinnett Bikeway, a proposed 18-mile trail located along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard from Suwanee to Peachtree Corners, and part of the Harbins Greenway, a 17.4-mile trail connecting Harbins Park to Bay Creek Park to Tribble Mill Park to Loganville.
One future project being discussed is the Chattahoochee Trail Network, a 100-mile, regional trail along the river from Buford Dam to Newnan that would require partnerships among multiple agencies. Gwinnett officials have already met with the National Park Service and surrounding cities to explore ways to help build the trail.
View the master plan: www.tinyurl.com/MasterTrailPlan.
About the Author
