The first section of the Silver Comet Trail Connector is coming to fruition. The Woodall Rail Trail broke ground in late February and when completed early next year, it will connect the future Northwest BeltLine trail to an area near The Works on Atlanta’s Westside.
It’s the first section of a larger connector that looks to join the two popular biking paths, the Atlanta BeltLine and Silver Comet Trail. Currently, Silver Comet Trail spans nearly 100 miles and connects Metro Atlanta with parts of Alabama. The Atlanta Beltline continues to be developing beyond the popular Eastside Trail, which connects Ponce City Market with other destinations like Piedmont Park and Krog Street Market.
Elizabeth Hollister, Executive Director, Upper Westside Community Improvement District (CID), believes the Woodall Rail Tail project will help the residents of the Westside.
“The goal of the Woodall Rail Trail was to connect density and nature so the trail serves residents and workers on weekdays and, on weekends, welcomes visitors, too,” said Hollister.
Historically, the Westside has not had many alternative modes for cars of reliable transit. This Connector will not only allow the paths to be used for more recreation, said Hollister, but also act as an alternative mode of transit.
“The Upper West Side Master Plan identified a network of on and off-road bike and pedestrian improvements to establish safe, alternative ways to move through the district for work or play,” Hollister said. “This 0.7 miles will tie into the Northwest Beltline which already reaches the Westside BeltLine Connector that spans to downtown. The CID is actively working to tie Woodall east to Howell Mill Road and improve 10th Street to include bike facilities so there’s also a connection to Midtown.”
In addition to more diverse transit option, the community’s vision outlined in the Upper Westside Masterplan calls for what many communities around Atlanta have been asking for — A vibrant neighborhood with a number of transit options and places where people want to live, complete with green spaces, art and something that bolster a sense of community. Hollister says this Connector is another step towards the neighborhood’s success.
“Success looks like a district where residents and businesses want to be and can move around on foot and bike/scooter/one-wheel safely,” Hollister said.
Hollister added “The Spur”, another 0.7-mile trail between the Westside BeltLine Connector trail and West Marietta Street, will be under construction relatively soon.
Woodall Rail Trail was one of several trials identified while working with the community to develop the master plan. The goal was to connect the hidden nature to the density of the neighborhoods.
The selection of Woodall Rail Trail as the next project was met with enthusiasm, according to Hollister, who added they partnered with Groundwork Atlanta and Trees Atlanta to host monthly invasive cleanups in preparation of the eventual Woodall Rail Trail, which saw thousands of hours of volunteers.
“Our community residents and property owners have shown up in many different ways to support this vision of a safe, walkable and bikeable Upper Westside,” Hollister said.
In all, it seems that residents are excited for the coming additions.
I have ridden the Silver Comet Trail….when it was a rail route linking Atlanta to Birmingham… directly, with passenger train speed certified track, while the Crescent had to detour around a derailment on it’s Norfolk Southern route! IIRC..the arrival at Birminham was over an hour early…because the SCT rail route was(is) a more viable route for high(er) speed rail service…but I digress. The real tragedy is…that due to lack of focus,…and loss of institutional “knowledge” of how high speed rail must be implemented….this region, indeed this nation, is doomed to having lots of trail miles as opposed to high(er) speed rail miles. The State of Georgia missed a recent opportunity to purchase (with it’s(our) excess “rainy day” funds) a rail route extension of our tracks from downtown Chattanooga to downtown Cincinnati,(Norfolk Southern is the presumed purchaser of the available route owned by the City of Cincinnati) thus losing the ability to control for furtherance of the peoples’ interests of having a corridor from near steel/auto production assets to a thriving coastal port(Savannah) as well as a potential passenger rail corridor linking millions to millions! Recent Saporta Report articles in re the GA DoT/GRTA/The ATL and expanded “transit” in the state(region) give little/no hope that the foresight which shaped Atlanta and the State of Georgia and transportation in the Southeastern US…is on any sort of viable transportation trajectory.