Last week the Beltline broke ground on the city’s first bike park at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park, kicking off the first phase of construction on an $18 million greenspace for cyclists and hikers.
Once completed, the park will have 2.25 miles of mountain bike trails, an asphalt pump track, skills course, a playground and 0.75 miles of hiking trails. Phase one – the pump track, bike playground and skills course – is set to be finished by fall.
“As a son of Atlanta, I must say that I’m proud of what we’re building here as it’s going to benefit all of Atlanta,” Mayor Andre Dickens said.
In late 2024, Mailchimp co-founder Ben Chestnut’s family foundation, the Chestnut Family Foundation, donated $8 million to build the park. The lead gift helped make Phase 1 construction possible.
Chestnut is an avid cyclist. He started the foundation with his wife Teresa Chestnut to help “improve children’ s lives.” At the groundbreaking, Chestnut recalled his own childhood riding for “miles and miles” exploring the woods with friends.
“It just gives you the confidence and makes you say, ‘no matter what life throws at me, I think I can handle this,’” Chestnut said.
The full park will cost $18 million, but the Beltline is still fundraising for Phase 2. The Coca-Cola Foundation, Rebecca and John Somerhalder and the DICKS Sporting Goods Foundation. It will include 0.37 miles of beginner trails, 0.67 miles of intermediate and expert gravity trails, and 1.19 miles of intermediate bidirectional trails. It will also include 0.75 miles of hiking trails.
“This world-class, dynamic bike park reflects our commitment to inclusivity, creating a place along the Beltline where riders of all ages, abilities and backgrounds feel welcome,” Atlanta Beltline Partnership Executive Director Rob Brawner said.
Once built, it will include ADA-compliant features and adaptive equipment for cyclists of all abilities. Features like the bicycle playground are a “welcoming entry point” for younger, novice riders with low-risk elements. More experienced riders will be able to use the skills course with bridges, rock gardens and tight switchbacks to simulate real trail conditions.
The pump track will be designed for all experience levels, so riders can build momentum through berms and rollers without pedaling. The features will encourage skills and tricks-based learning for cyclists of all types.
“We are embarking upon the next phase of an awesome story in Atlanta’s chapter on the Beltline,” Dickens said.
The Westside park was renamed after former Mayor Shirley Clarke Franklin last year, as a tribute to her years of service, work to create the Beltline and dedication to the parks system.
“This is a mayor that I love dearly, and she really sold me that government and people have endless possibilities,” Dickens said. “We take the next step of this vision with the bike park at Shirley (Clarke) Franklin Park, serving westside communities with our city’s largest greenspace.”
As the Atlanta Beltline continues to build its 22 miles of paved path and 11 miles of connector trails by 2030, Dickens said it is always about “connections” between neighborhoods, jobs, parks and people.
“This bike park fits right into that work,” Dickens said.
