The Atlanta Beltline has reached a historic milestone with the opening of Southside Trail Segments 2 and 3, creating 16.7 miles of continuous mainline trail. This new 1.9-mile stretch extends from McDaniel Street at University Avenue near Pittsburgh Yards to Boulevard in southeast Atlanta.
Connecting Neighborhoods
The newly opened trail segment connects 36 neighborhoods across the city, providing residents with nearly 17 uninterrupted miles of trail to travel by foot or bicycle. According to Atlanta Beltline President and CEO Clyde Higgs, the project represents more than new infrastructure, but an opportunity for jobs, safe routes to schools, and improved quality of life.
Mayor Andre Dickens called the opening a transformative moment for Atlanta, noting that the Southside Connection now unites portions of the city that had developed separately for years. The Atlanta Beltline traces its origins to a 1999 master’s thesis by Georgia Tech graduate student Ryan Gravel, who envisioned transforming a network of abandoned freight rail corridors into a 22-mile loop of trails, transit, and parks connecting neighborhoods around the city’s urban core.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
