Officials across south metro Atlanta say that while federal funding is no longer available for a proposed 31-mile multi-use trail connecting the area to the Atlanta Beltline, they remain committed to moving the project forward.
The proposed trail network, which includes the Flint River Gateway Trail, generated momentum last year after a promising $64.9 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
During the 2025 State of the Aerotropolis event earlier in December, local leaders said that while the funds are no longer available due to changes brought by the Trump Administration, the project is still a priority.
The event was held at the Georgia International Convention Center.
Shannon James, president and CEO of Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, led a discussion with Clayton County Commission Chair Alieka Anderson-Henry, Henry County Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell, and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Chief Operating Officer Mike Alexander. The officials agreed that building the trail system will require creativity, coordination, and regional investment.
Alexander said regional success will depend on the south metro cities and counties dedicating financial resources and working together. He added that the Atlanta Regional Commission stands ready to support coordination and help local governments move projects forward efficiently.
“Everybody has got to be working together and putting money aside,” Alexander said of local cities and counties. “We are looking at taking a shared vision and turning it into a unified vision.”
Last fall, the Atlanta Regional Commission formed a South Metro Trails Leadership Alliance of city and county officials that includes Anderson-Henry and Harrell.
At the State of the Aerotropolis event, Anderson-Henry said, the multi-use trail project could change Clayton County residents’ lives by driving economic development, job creation, and tourism, as well as health and wellness.
“This is a transformational multi-trial plan,” Anderson-Henry said. “This is something that is so needed in order to build our community in Clayton County.”
Clayton County has a poverty rate that exceeds 16 percent, she said, and 72,000 residents rely on SNAP benefits. Infrastructure investments would improve the quality of life and access to opportunity.
The trail project would be a “game changer” and position the county as a destination for residents to live, work, and play, Anderson-Henry added.
Harrell said Henry County is actively exploring alternative funding mechanisms and has a special-purpose local option sales tax that is up for renewal.
The Flint component would be part of the TSPLOST, she said.
“We just completed… our parks and recreation master plan,” Harrell said. “Trails is a huge part of that plan.”
