The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced June 27 that it is awarding a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to the city of Atlanta and Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
The funds will be used for the construction of a 2.2-mi.-long network of multi-use trails in northeast Atlanta between the Armour/Ottley and Lindbergh areas.
The project also marks the first time the Atlanta BeltLine trail will connect to a MARTA transit station (at Lindbergh Center), fulfilling the vision to connect with the region's larger transportation network. Additionally, it will knit together the regional trail network, affordable housing and job centers across a complex series of transportation barriers.
Without securing this grant, the construction of these vitally important connector trails was uncertain, according to Atlanta BeltLine.
"The northeast segment of the BeltLine is a huge undertaking, but Atlanta does big, and we do it well and we do it together," said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
He added that thanks to Georgia's two U.S. senators, Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, along with Congresswoman Nikema Williams and the Biden Administration,
"Atlanta now has $25 million in funding, in addition to millions in infrastructure dollars already delivered, for utility, stormwater, accessibility and safety infrastructure for Segment 3 and surrounding connectors."
Unlike most BeltLine's corridors, this part of the Northeast Trail does not follow abandoned railroad lines. It also is unique in metro Atlanta as the only place where an interstate, state roads and highways, regional rail and bus, and several regional trails converge.
The new BeltLine trail segments will provide safe crossings of existing MARTA heavy rail, Norfolk Southern and CSX freight rail, state highways and Peachtree Creek. In addition, the project will offer pedestrian and cyclist access between the BeltLine's mainline trail, the Armour/Ottley business district, major employers along Piedmont Road, multi-family residential developments and other major regional trails.
"With the incredible support of the USDOT and our congressional delegation, we're creating a city that allows people to move within it, creating new access points that lead to jobs, housing, and activities," explained Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. "The BeltLine is creating a vibrant public space and a more equitable city for Atlantans by ensuring mobility and access for all who live and work near the corridor. The construction of the Northeast Trail network is a crucial part of this vision."
Officials Want BeltLine to Aid in Healing Inequities
The Atlanta BeltLine is catalyzing current and future regional growth surrounding a 22-mi. loop of trails, transit and parks. It connects communities that were intentionally segregated for generations by large infrastructure projects and banking policies that split the city and forged deep divisions by race and class.
The BeltLine's RAISE proposal, titled "Trails to Transit: Reconnecting Atlanta Communities," supports safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity.
"The BeltLine is more than a walking path, it is an artery connecting Atlantans to each other and their neighborhoods in the heart of our state," Warnock noted in a statement. "That is why I am proud to have worked alongside Sen. Ossoff to secure these funds for the city to expand trail construction, bolster accessibility, strengthen economic development and more. Atlanta is on the frontlines of our green economy, and by investing in this world-class transportation corridor, we are continuing to pave a path towards a better tomorrow."
Ossoff also released a statement that read, "The BeltLine is a transformative Metro Atlanta infrastructure project to upgrade quality of life and spur equitable development across the region. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are investing to accelerate the completion of the BeltLine Trail. Imagine families walking and biking, [along with] restaurants, retail, small businesses, green spaces and trail connectivity across Metro Atlanta. This is a huge step forward towards that vision."
Construction on the RAISE-funded section of the Northeast Trail mainline and connector trails is expected to begin in early 2025. The trail's design is currently 60 percent complete.
Redevelopment Program Funded by Many Sources
The line's trail corridor is funded through the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD), the Special Service District (SSD), philanthropic contributions, grants and other sources needed to complete the loop. The Atlanta Regional Commission prioritized funding for Northeast Trail construction and allocated $12.97 million in federal funding through the Transportation Improvement Program. The RAISE grant will help fill a critical funding gap to support the total project cost of $70.7 million.
Atlanta BeltLine Inc.'s vision is to be the catalyst for making the Georgia capital city a global beacon for equitable, inclusive and sustainable city life. As one of the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs in the nation, the BeltLine is building a more socially and economically resilient city with its partner organizations and host communities through job creation, inclusive transportation systems, affordable housing and public spaces for all.
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