Connecting the Comet Hits a Snag

All those involved thought PATH, GDOT, and Cobb County would have connected the Silver Comet Trail to Atlanta by now. It was five years ago when CSX and GDOT first negotiated the agreement that would allow for extension of the trail from Mavell Road to the Plant Atkinson Road crossing (see map). PATH even took bids from contractors in 2020 when it appeared clearance to build the trail was eminent.

Negotiations between GDOT and CSX continue at press time. PATH personnel are not party to the negotiations but we are being kept aware of any progress. In February, the advocacy group, Connect the Comet, was rejuvenated to help bring attention to the issue and hopefully encourage clearance from GDOT and CSX to construct the trail. If you have interest in joining the group you can visit their website at connectthecomet.org.

Connect the Comet organizer, Roberta Cook, can’t believe CSX and GDOT are still negotiating an agreement to extend the Comet to Plant Atkinson Road. “I think it’s time for the paper shuffling to stop and the construction to start,” Roberta said.

In anticipation of building the trail at Plant Atkinson Road and knowing CSX is not abandoning the line from Plant Atkinson Road to Collier Road, PATH and Connect the Comet lobbied the Cobb County Commissioners for funding to construct a trail from Plant Atkinson to the Chattahoochee River along Atlanta Road. This will connect the Comet to the Whetstone Creek Trail in Atlanta. Cobb County has begun construction on this segment.

The PATH team realizes the importance of connecting the Silver Comet to Atlanta. We have crews standing by and your donations in hand to build this extension to the Comet when GDOT and CSX agree to grant us clearance. l

In 1993, the founders of PATH and the city of Atlanta saw the potential for a multimodal corridor along the developing Georgia 400 right-of-way. Together, we proposed the addition of a trail alongside the highway and MARTA tracks. We were a couple of years late with the idea since the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) had previously purchased the land needed for the highway and MARTA tracks and weren’t in the mood to go back to adjacent property owners for additional right-ofway for a trail.