On a melting hot late-September afternoon, a large crowd of people was present as the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail was officially opened to the public on September 29, 2017. The heat proved to be a popular choice of topic for speakers at the ceremony, which was hosted at Gordon-White Park. Among the guests of honor, which included expected individuals like Major Kasim Reed and council members, the BeltLine’s Brian McGowan and Rob Brawner, and representatives from key public and private partners, but also a surprise appearance by Representative John Lewis; whom, Mayor Reed jokingly noted, “just happened to be in the neighborhood.”
Upon completion of the speeches, the guests of honor crossed White Street to cut the ribbon at the access ramp to the Westside Trail, surrounded by a swarm of media and visitors. After the ribbon cutting frenzy, the crowd disbursed back to the park for a community celebration and strolls along the newly opened trail.
Please join Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., and Atlanta BeltLine Partnership on Friday, September 29, 2017 as the BeltLine Westside Trail will officially be opened!
Mayor Reed will set the stage with a keynote address at 4:00pm, to be followed by an official ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30pm. From there, neighbors of the Westside Trail will be welcomed with a community celebration from 5:00 to 7:00pm, featuring free food, music, kid-friendly activities, and opportunities to meet participating local community groups, businesses, and entrepreneurs.
All the festivities will take place in Gordon White Park, just steps away from the new trail, and Atlantans of all ages are encouraged to get the know the 3-mile trail during the celebration.
The opening marks a huge milestone for the Atlanta BeltLine and the City of Atlanta, marking the conclusion of a three-year construction process and an unprecedented $43 million infrastructure investment in Southwest Atlanta. The Atlanta BeltLine hopes you can join them to celebrate this exciting occasion.
For more information visit the event page.
This past weekend, the first sunny, warm weather day since before Christmas, a few neighbors ventured out to hike down the BeltLine Hiking Trail from Muse Street to Washington Park. The proposed rail corridor has been cleared of overgrowth and has been mulched and seeded along much of the path to allow residents to walk at their own risk.
