Connecting Communities Across Georgia with 325 Miles of Trails
The most anticipated trail segment we have built in the last decade is finally under construction in Cobb County. PATH was recently granted clearance from GDOT and CSX Transportation to build the Silver Comet Connector under the East-West Connector, across Oakdale Road, and under Interstate 285 all the way to Plant Atkinson Road.
In anticipation of getting this segment underway, Cobb County began construction from Plant Atkinson Road south to the Chattahoochee River last summer. Both segments are components of the PATH effort to connect the Silver Comet to the Atlanta BeltLine and the trail system PATH has already built in the city.
The segment north of Plant Atkinson Road is funded by your donations to PATH. The segment Cobb County is building, south of Plant Atkinson Road, is being funded by Cobb County TSPLOST. CSX still retains ownership of the railroad right-of-way from Plant Atkinson Road, across the river to north of Collier Road in Atlanta.
When the two segments that are under construction are completed at the end of this year (and officially safe and open), Silver Comet users will be able to access the trail from northwest Atlanta, rather than at mile zero at the Mavell Road parking lot. PATH and the City of Atlanta are starting construction on additional segments that will allow trail users to access the Silver Comet and other PATH trails in the city from the Atlanta BeltLine. (See construction updates on Page 4).
Watch this time-lapse video of construction on the Silver Comet Connector
When all segments are completed, trail enthusiasts will be able to travel from Stone Mountain to Anniston, Alabama. When the Atlanta BeltLine is fully developed, virtually every BeltLine neighborhood will be ‘trail connected’ to northwest Georgia and Anniston. l
About a decade ago, a group calling themselves ‘Newton Trails’ came to PATH asking for assistance with the “Cricket Frog Trail”, a rail-trail project in Newton County. They already had a vision but needed what we do best: a game plan for getting their project on the ground. We suggested a few revisions to their proposed specs, offered them a few bucks to help them deliver a sizeable length of trail, and promised project management to get the initial trail segment implemented.
Our investment paid off! After the initial project was completed, the group successfully talked the local cities and counties into helping fund nearly 14.5 miles of the Cricket Frog. Since our initial involvement, PATH has helped the group complete a master plan for trails around Covington and helped the group retrofit a trestle near the City of Covington administration building.
The Cricket Frog is built on a Norfolk Southern railbed that runs between Porterdale and Shady Dale. The line is still active from Newborn to Shady Dale. The Cricket Frog will ultimately connect Porterdale to Newborn.
PATH’s latest Cricket Frog project is helping to retrofit the Alcovy River Trestle to accommodate the trail. PATH has considerable experience retrofitting trestles for trails. The Silver Comet Trail and the Spanish Moss Trail had their share of trestles that needed retrofitting.
The original structure of the Alcovy River Trestle on the Cricket Frog Trail dates back to the Civil War, is 225 feet long, and will cost $995,000 to retrofit. Newton County contracted with Excellere Construction to do the work which will be completed this year.
Lowell Chambers, one of the promoters of the Cricket Frog, says his group is happy with the usage so far. “Right now, the locals in Mansfield are using the trail east of the Alcovy River Trestle and Covington folks are using the trail west of the trestle. Once the trestle work is complete, there will be 14.5 miles of connected trail. I think a 14.5 mile ride out and a 14.5 mile ride back will be a pretty good ride,” Lowell said.
Visit the PATH website for more info on the Cricket Frog — another great trail (partially) built with your donations to PATH l
HiLo Trail – Model projects are beginning with the ambitious effort to connect Athens to Savannah.
Northwest BeltLine – PATH and the Atlanta BeltLine are building this trail in (5) segments beginning with Segment 5. Bids for construction are under review and construction will begin this summer.
Proctor Creek Phase 4 – The PATH planning and design team have completed preliminary field work on phase 4 of the Proctor Creek Trail. No date is set yet for construction to begin.
Alcovy River Trestle (Cricket Frog Trail) – Old railroad ties have been removed and replaced with concrete decking in addition to a new bridge. This will complete the 14. 5 miles.
MacArthur Trail – This project will extend from the Whetstone Trail to Chattahoochee Avenue near the Scofflaw Brewery. It allows PATH to connect the Silver Comet Trail into downtown Atlanta.
PATH400 – Progress continues on the trail section between Wieuca Road and Loridans Drive. Construction north of Loridans will begin this fall.
Sandy Springs Trail –
Construction obstacles have been overcome and progress continues on this new trail to connect Morgan Falls to Roswell Road…completion expected by the end of 2024.
Silver Comet Connector moving south toward Plant Atkinson Road
Silver Comet Connector – 2.0 miles of concrete have been poured between the East-West Connector and Plant Atkinson Road. The remainder of the connection should be complete by the end of the year.
Westside Paper Trail – This trail will join the Westside BeltLine Connector and the new development at Westside Paper. This connection should be complete by spring 2025.
PATH400 looking south toward Wieuca Road
Woodall Trail – Plan includes a connection to the Northwest BeltLine as well as the Silver Comet Trail. Will incorporate a bio swale and boardwalks to help make the connection through the Upper Westside area.
Panola Mountain Greenway Phase 2 – This trail extension is complete and provides a direct pipeline to Henry County residents as well as a safe route to the Austin Road Middle School. l
In 1994 PATH developed a citywide Greenway Trail Master Plan for the City of Atlanta. Today, the city and PATH are collaborating again to revise that plan so that there will be a trail within a tenminute walk of every home in the city.
In 1994, the BeltLine didn’t exist. Now, it’s widely considered the backbone of Atlanta’s trail system and it’s time for the master plan to be updated!
PLEASE participate in the Trails ATL project by voicing your opinions on the future of trails in Atlanta!
• Visit TrailsATL.com website to engage in local meetings
• Scan this QR code and take the survey! YOUR
I generally don’t hog space in this newsletter, limiting my editorial ramblings to one article, that being Ed’s Corner. But, upon learning of Sam’s passing, I felt the need to write about Sam from the heart, which had to be an editorial piece and not a news article.
Sam was in the trenches with us from the very beginning, setting up a ‘who’s-who’ board of directors to give Pete and me the credibility we needed to launch PATH. It was Sam that reached out to me in 1993, after reading an article about Pete and me in the Northside Neighbor, inviting me in to chat, and recognizing that we were real and that our game plan was solid.
He agreed to be our chairman, and held that position for 13 years, guided us through the Olympics and the construction of the Silver Comet Trail. I could always count on him to offer constructive criticism when I needed it, but more importantly to leave me alone to do my job when I didn’t.
Sam left the active board when he retired to St. Simons Island a few years ago. We remained friends, calling each other to ‘trail talk’ every now and then. I’ll miss Sam. He was a founding PATH member and a true trail hero.
Iwas asked to speak at a bridge ceremony on one of our trails last month. I was honored that anybody remembered that I was involved in its creation. The event got me to thinking about all of the people that I have had the good fortune to learn from and work with during my tenure at PATH.
The person who should have been recognized at the ceremony was a trail designer from Denver named Merle Grimes. I went to Denver in 1993 in search of the design firm credited with creating the trail system in Denver. I talked Merle into coming to Atlanta to help us design trails, since none of the local firms had his experience.
Merle was always thinking and designing outsidethe-box. Merle, and his firm MDG and Associates, were helping us lay out the Arabia Mountain PATH in Dekalb County. Merle proposed a covered wooden bridge to span Stephenson Creek in honor of Mr. Horace King.
Mr. King, a freed slave, designed covered bridges in Alabama in the 1800’s and was also the first African-American to serve in the Alabama statehouse.
Merle was eager to share his Colorado trail development experience with me. I knew nothing about planning, designing and building trails. There were few ‘Merles’ around in 1993. We were lucky enough to have him show us what makes a trail ‘more than just a trail.’ I learned a lot from Merle. He’s one of my heroes.
There are countless unsung heroes at Lewallen Construction, our get-it-done contractor for almost three decades. I always could count on Larry Lewallen’s knowledge of construction to give us solutions to complex design issues.
Larry visited Brushy Mountain Tunnel with me when it had three feet of running water through it. He put my fears to rest when he assured me that he
knew how to dewater it. He also knew how to convert the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle from a railroad-tie skeleton into a first-class trail bridge. Larry is also one of my heroes.
Pete Pellegrini, my partner in crime, has worked largely behind the scenes to further PATH’s mission. Pete was a founder of PATH and my go-to-guy for virtually every permit, every contract, every field decision and my counsel. Pete continues to be one of the reasons for PATH’s tremendous success. I couldn’t have asked for a better ‘partner’ to grow PATH into what it is today.
There are scores of people I could have written about: Kelly Jordan, Jim Kennedy, Sarah Kennedy and Nancy Rigby to name a few. The point I am trying to make is that I was never that smart or a highpowered visionary. I surrounded myself with talented, passionate people. I was smart enough to have done that.
PATH Foundation
1601 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
Charlie Shufeldt, Chairman
Alexander C. Taylor, Vice Chairman
Jennifer Dorian, Secretary
Harry L. Anderson, Treasurer
B. Harvey Hill, Jr.
Jaime Hockin
Ciannat Howett
James C. Kennedy
Sarah K. Kennedy
Scott Kitchens
E. Cody Laird, Jr.
Stephen Lanier
Tree McGlown
Lyle Ross
John W. Somerhalder II
C. Austin Stephens
Stephanie Stephens
Richard Tyler
Lauren Wilson
Sam Friedman, Emeritus Chairman
W. Douglas Ellis, Jr., Emeritus
William C. Fowler, Emeritus
Carol Muldawer, Emeritus
Greta deMayo, Executive Director
Ed McBrayer, Executive Advisor
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