Southside Trail

Groundbreaking held for latest segment of Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta Public Schools Executive Director of Facilities Services, Alvah Hardy, died in a car crash in the North Georgia mountains on Friday, according to an email sent to staff by Superintendent Meria Carstaphen. Hardy, 64, was in charge of the district’s building and expansion projects, including the renovation of the former David T. Howard School and the upcoming Grady High School expansion. The Florida native and Georgia Tech graduate had worked at APS for nearly a decade.

Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields announced that officers will no longer pursue suspects in high-speed car chases while the department reviews its pursuit protocol. Shields said the decision came after three recent deaths of innocent motorists who were struck by vehicles involved in chases.

The City of Atlanta’s new smoking ban went into effect on Jan. 2. The legislation prohibits smoking and vaping indoors in most public places, including bars and restaurants, while exempting cigar bars and hookah lounges. The ban includes Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Midtown Improvement District (MID) is providing $1.3M to convert the remaining segments of 3rd Street, 4th Street, and 13th Street from one-way to two-way traffic. The resurfacing and operational change to two-way is expected to take place by spring.

The Atlanta City Council approved legislation last month to provide for a comprehensive update to the city’s impact fee program. The city assesses impact fees on new developments to help pay for the expanded capital facilities that will be required to serve new residents and businesses that will occupy the developments. Impact fees are assessed for transportation, parks, police and fire facilities.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Jan. 22 for the first phase of the four-mile Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail. Dubbed Southside Trail-West, construction on the 0.75-mile portion of the corridor will extend from the Westside Trail to Pittsburgh Yards on University Avenue. Astra Group was selected as contractor for the work.

BeltLine CEO Clyde Higgs said the “Southside Trail-West was selected as the first segment in a phased approach to construction because of its connection between four emerging job centers – Pittsburgh Yards, Murphy Crossing, and Lee + White and the Metropolitan.”

For the first time, the Atlanta BeltLine will have three segments of the corridor under construction at the same time. Higgs said this was a “huge” step forward.

While the Southside Trail-West construction is underway, the BeltLine team will continue to advance design, real estate acquisition, and funding sources necessary to construct the full length of the paved Southside Trail. Higgs said the goal was to have the entire Southside Trail shovel-ready by the end of 2020.

For those ready for what’s next

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