Atlanta BeltLine Receives $4 Million in Grant Funding for Southside Trail

Grant is part of nearly $68 million allocated to advancing regional trail network
ABI Project Map Southside Trail Segments
Graphic: Official | ABI Project Map Southside Trail Segments

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) awarded Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) $4 million in federal funding through its regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) call for projects, according to an announcement this week.

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The funding will go directly towards the construction of the Southside Trail beginning in the fiscal year 2023. The funded projects are codified in ARC’s TIP that programs federal funding for transportation projects across metro Atlanta.

“As the central core of the Atlanta Regional Trail network, each segment of completed Atlanta BeltLine trail has a multiplier effect as by closing gaps in the transportation network, connecting with both regional and local trails, and providing viable transportation options,” the ABI said in the announcement.

For construction planning purposes, the Southside Trail has been divided into six segments. Segment 1, also known as Southside Trail — West, is currently under construction with anticipated completion in late summer 2021. It connects the southern end of the Westside Trail to Pittsburgh Yards on University Avenue.

Awarded as part of the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) category, funding is committed to Segment II, connecting Pittsburgh Yards and Milton Avenue. Segments II and III (between Milton Avenue and Boulevard) will likely begin construction in 2023 in alignment with federal funding. Segments IIII and V (between Boulevard and Glenwood Avenue) will mobilize for construction in 2022. Segment VI encompasses the interim safety improvements along Bill Kennedy Way, which are now complete.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Atlanta Regional Commission with funding to advance the Atlanta BeltLine,” Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of ABI, said. “Multi-use trails have proven to be a catalyst for economic development, and we are committed to advancing the Atlanta BeltLine in ways that support and uplift communities around the full 22-mile loop.”

The Atlanta BeltLine Southside Trail ranked “high” among 18 projects funded in the multi-use trail category, to which a total of nearly $68 million was allocated, or 25 percent of total funding. The awarded trail projects will add 47 miles of new multiuse trails to the region. 67 percent of the awarded projects are located in Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, including the Southside Trail.

Local funds, potentially including those raised through the BeltLine TAD and the Special Service District (SSD), will serve as a local match for the federal grant.

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

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