December 2025 Newsletter

December 2025, Issue #117

Connecting Communities Across Georgia along 334 Miles of Trails

Cricket Frog Trail See page 4

PATH Foundation A Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Planning and Building Greenway Trails

PROJECT UPDATES PLANNING & DESIGN Proctor Creek Greenway Segment 4 This trail is currently 60% designed with a schedule anticipating construction to begin at the end of 2026. This 2.4-mile segment begins at West Highlands and ends at Lillian Cooper Shepherd Park. The trail follows Proctor Creek with two bridges over the creek, and goes under both Hollywood Road and James Jackson Parkway, ending at Lillian Cooper Shephard Park.

Peachtree Creek Greenway This 0.7-mile segment will begin along the creek at the Atlanta/Brookhaven city limits and connect north with the Brookhaven Segment 2 of the Peachtree Creek Greenway. It will follow the Peachtree Creek corridor, pass under Buford Highway, Cheshire Bridge Road, and I-85, before linking to the existing Cheshire Farm Trail. Once complete, this will be a vital new connection that

enhances regional trail access to PATH400 and the Atlanta Beltline.

Atlanta Riverlands - Segment 1 This segment of trail is under construction and will connect Standing Peachtree Park greenspace to the Silver Comet Connector along Marietta Blvd.

It will include a bridge at the confluence of Peachtree Creek and the Chattahoochee River.

tandem with several other segments to the north. Led by the City of Sandy Springs, this will complete PATH400. The northernmost segment will link PATH400 to the future trail system in Sandy Springs using the I-285 Interchange completed

by GDOT earlier this year.

with the trail design and advise on the construction that will close the Beltline gap on the northwest corner of Atlanta.

Segments 2, 3B and 4 are in the final design and permitting stage while Segments 3A and 5 are complete.

PATH400 – The Loridans Drive to Sandy Springs City Limits segment is underway in

Northwest Beltline - PATH is honored to be partnering with the Atlanta Beltline to help

Westside Connector The City of Atlanta is coordinating demolition of the old Bankhead Bridge to make room for a new trail bridge connection into Georgia Tech. This trail will link GT to the existing Westside Beltline Connector for both students and residents in the area.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

For more updates on Beltline projects scan this QR code.

COMPLETED TRAILS

PATH400 - Wieuca to Loridans (Sept. ’25) 2 | PATHFoundation.org

Silver Comet Connector MacArthur Blvd. (Nov. ’25)

Capitol Westlake (Dec. ’25)

SILVER COMET CONNECTOR Shown here is the entire Silver Comet Connector that is either under construction or complete.

Once fully completed, trail users will have a continuous connection northwest to the Silver Comet Trail into Alabama as well as southeast to the Atlanta Beltline, downtown Atlanta and beyond to Stone Mountain. Total completion of this amazing network will be mid-2027.

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Segment 3 - A continuation of Segment 2, this corridor will also create unique greenspaces that will connect into destinations like The Works where trail users can experience a variety of businesses that are attracting so WESTVIEW many.

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Segment 2 – Beginning in front of the BRYKS development along Marietta Blvd., the trail will snake behind the Vue Apartments and into a beautiful wooded area where trail users will enjoy a greenway corridor with lots of wildlife.

These last two segments are the final 1.27-miles that will complete the Silver Comet Connector. l 12,000

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Plant Atkinson Gap - Cobb County is finalizing this portion of the trail along Plant Atkinson Road.

Additional funding and right-of-way issues are being addressed and plans to have this very critical link complete are later in 2026.

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December 2025 | 3

EXISTING SCC TRAIL

Cricket Frog Trail

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o you love the rural, north Georgia viewshed along the Silver Comet Trail but are growing tired of retracing the same route every time you walk/ ride the trail? Do you choose the Comet because it’s flat and you don’t have to dodge angry motorists, who are convinced you shouldn’t be in the street to start with? Boy, we’ve got a treat for you!

The Cricket Frog Trail offers 15 paved miles and many of the same features you enjoy on the Silver Comet Trail: the rural scenery, the absence of hills, places to grab a snack, not a lot of company (yet), and 4 | PATHFoundation.org

it’s a short drive out I-20 East in Covington.

The Cricket Frog Trail is built on an abandoned rail bed that connects Porterdale to Newborn, so it’s basically flat. It is a project made possible by Newton Trails, a nonprofit group, the cities of Covington, Porterdale, and Mansfield, Newton County, numerous private grants and donations to Newton Trails, as well as your donations to PATH. The best place to park is Legion Field at 3173 Mill Street in Covington, where there are restrooms and a spur trail leading to the Cricket Frog Trail. You can also start your adven-

ture by parking at the deck in downtown Covington (1166 Elm Street NE), Monday through Saturday and heading east on the Cricket Frog Trail. The deck fills up with churchgoers on Sunday.

If from either parking area you head east on the Cricket Frog Trail, you’ll experience Covington’s historic district, but soon after, the newer suburban developments that have supported Covington’s growth. At the city limit, the surface changes from concrete to asphalt and the scenery from urban to rural. About four miles outside of Covington, you will cross the Alcovy River on a recently, PATH funded, retrofitted trestle. After seven more miles you will arrive in Mansfield where Your Perfect Cup, right on the Cricket Frog Trail, offers a variety of coffees and light snacks.

There are several other restaurants in Mansfield and Newborn where the trail ends. Along the trail, and between the two cities, is Beaver Park which features a nine-hole disc golf course and the Marketplace Creamery if you have a hankering for ice cream.

The idea of converting the abandoned rail line to a recreational trail was first envisioned around the turn of the century. Newton Trails, an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization, was formed in 1996 with a mission to advocate for, plan, build, maintain, and promote trails in Newton County.

David Waller, an early Newton Trails board member, first approached PATH in the early 2000’s to assess our interest in the project. At the time, we were fully committed elsewhere, so all we could offer was advice on what to do next. PATH became involved a few years later, helping to extend the trail and retrofit the trestles.

Alcovy Trestle

Newton Trails signed a lease for the right-ofway with Norfolk Southern in 2016, launched the project and along with PATH and local units of government continues to lengthen, improve, and promote the Cricket Frog Trail. “With lots of help, Newton Trails has accomplished much and have more to do,” said Chip West, Chair of the Newton Trails board of directors.

The Cricket Frog Trail is attracting trail tourists from outside the Atlanta region. There are a variety of Airbnb-type rentals less than a mile ride from the trail, and several adjacent to the trail itself.

Plans to expand the Cricket Frog Trail west and south to Porterdale are supported by various master plans created by PATH and others for the cities of Covington and Porterdale as well as Newton County. Covington recently added about 0.2 miles to the western end of the trail. l December 2025 | 5

2025 Annual Report Highlights

334

7.33

10

TOTAL MILES OF TRAILS

NEW MILES OF TRAILS

COMPLETED TRAIL SEGMENTS

Trails/Segments Completed • Cricket Frog Trail – Alcovy Trestle

Financial Review INCOME FYE MARCH 2025

• LaGrange The Thread – Pantherway

Public Grants

$8,693,993

• LaGrange The Thread – Pedal Park

Capital Campaign FY25

$1,347,429

8.37%

Capital Campaign Future Yrs* $3,662,844

22.76%

• Panola Mountain Greenway (Phase 1B) • PATH400/I-285 Interchange

54.02%

Contribution Revenue

$1,247,018

7.75%

Private Funding

$1,143,305

7.10%

TOTAL INCOME

$16,094,589

100.00%

• PATH400 Miami Circle Gateway • Sandy Springs Springway (Phase 2A)

EXPENSES FYE MARCH 2025

• Silver Comet Connector – to Plant Atkinson Road

Construction of Trails**

$11,127,989

86.02%

• Silver Comet Connector – Woodall Rail Trail

Project Management

$953,541

7.37%

Administrative

$558,357

4.32%

Fundraising/Special Events

282,664

2.18%

Trail Improvements

$14,645

0.11%

TOTAL EXPENSES

$12,937,196

100.00%

• West Marietta Connector

* Capital Campaign Grants received dedicated to future trail construction. ** FY25 construction expenses were partially funded by grants recorded in prior years.

93.5% of donations go to building trails F O R T H E F U L L 2 0 2 5 A N N U A L R E P O R T, V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E .

6 | PATHFoundation.org

ED’S

CORNER edwin@pathfoundation.org

Tanyard Park is for the Birds

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very now and then, something good comes out of our interaction with neighbors when we are proposing a trail. The trail running through Tanyard Park, someday to become part of the Atlanta Beltline, was contentious to say the least. As a result of efforts to appease the neighbors surrounding the park, PATH learned some important techniques to make concrete trails co-exist with sensitive environmental conditions. We applied the lessons learned while constructing the trail along Tanyard Creek and in subsequent trails we have built.

One concern voiced by the residents surrounding Tanyard Park ended up backfiring on them and taught us something at the same time.

In their initial list of ‘why the trail is not a good idea,’ the concerned neighbors insisted that building a trail through Tanyard Park would drive all the birds away. Although we had never heard that assertion

before, it was necessary to get past it, so we took them up on their offer to let the experts decide. Evidently, one of the neighbors knew somebody at the Audubon Society who had agreed to come on a tour of the intended route and give us all a ‘ruling.’

One brisk fall day, the director of the Audubon Society, representatives from PATH and the City of Atlanta Parks Department, and a cluster of concerned neighbors met at the northern end of the park to begin our trek. The lady from the Audubon Society was very pleasant to everyone for the entire hike. I felt like a birder going on a birdwatching excursion. I could sense that the ‘concerned neighbors’ were anticipating a favorable verdict from their expert.

We emerged from the tree canopy near Collier Road and everyone crowded around the director anxious for her analysis of our proposed project’s effect on the birds.

She started her comments by explaining to the group that she was in favor of anything

that enticed city dwellers to get outside and enjoy nature. I was guardedly optimistic that she was going to rule in our favor.

She continued, “a trail through the park would create two new edges of the forest.”

She went on to say, “birds feed on the edge of the forest. The trail will attract birds, not drive them away. The construction of a trail in your park will result in more birds, not less.”

I let out an internal cheer. The group of ‘concerned neighbors’ huddled away from the rest of the group probably to plan their next protest. I heard at least two neighbors uttering, ‘What kind of bird expert is she, anyway?”

We emerged from Tanyard Park wiser and better trail builders. We learned a lot from the ‘concerned neighbors’ expert brought in to stop us from building the trail. For one thing, I now know why trails are popular with birdwatchers. l

December 2025 | 7

Presorted First-Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid Atlanta, GA Permit No. 8163

PATH Foundation 1601 West Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30309

PATH Foundation Board of Directors C. Austin Stephens, , Chairman Alexander C. Taylor, Vice Chairman Tree McGlown, Secretary Harry L. Anderson, Treasurer B. Harvey Hill, Jr. Jamie Hockin Ciannat Howett James C. Kennedy Sarah K. Kennedy Scott Kitchens E. Cody Laird, Jr. Stephen Lanier Lyle Ross R. Charles Shufeldt

John W. Somerhalder II Stephanie Stephens Richard Tyler Lauren Wilson W. Douglas Ellis, Jr., Emeritus William C. Fowler, Emeritus Carol Muldawer, Emeritus Greta deMayo, Executive Director Ed McBrayer, Executive Advisor

Cover Photo: Buck Moore, Silver Comet Trail

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