BeltLine officials report new trail miles, housing goals and autonomous vehicle pilot

Atlanta BeltLine Inc. told the City Council on June 24 that the agency has opened its longest continuous trail stretch on the West Side and is advancing housing and small-business programs while testing an autonomous-vehicle demonstration for first- and last-mile connections.

In a presentation, Clyde Higgs, chief executive officer of Atlanta BeltLine Inc., said “we have over 12 miles of BeltLine completed to date” and that the organization expects “about 17 miles of continuous BeltLine completed” by late spring 2026. He said groundbreaking has begun on Onota Park, an approximately 8-acre park in Westview expected to take “about 18 months” to finish.

Higgs outlined a mix of projects and programs: a BeltLine ambassador force to provide information and security presence on trails; an economic-development office to help legacy and small businesses; a commercial-affordability program putting roughly 14 low-cost container retail spaces along the BeltLine; and a legacy resident retention fund funded by Georgia Power, the Woodruff Foundation, Google and Bank of America to cover rising property taxes in neighborhoods at risk of displacement.

Higgs said housing affordability is a major budget item: “Housing affordability is the second largest line item in our budget,” in a budget that he said recently passed at “almost a quarter billion dollars.” He told council members the BeltLine’s role includes land acquisition to accelerate affordable-unit production and preservation and that, if current trends continue, the BeltLine expects to exceed its 2030 goals.

On transit, Higgs described a demonstration “last-mile/first-mile” project funded by the Atlanta Regional Transit Authority for nearly $1.8 million to create a connector from the Atlanta University Center to a MARTA station and to Lee + White on the BeltLine. He characterized the work as a demonstration “to really understand the potential for autonomous vehicle[s],” and said the pilot could operate during the FIFA World Cup to stress-test systems. He cautioned the pilot is not presented as a replacement for rail and said BeltLine staff are studying a range of transit modes.

Council members asked about specific corridors and funding. Higgs said a $25 million federal RAISE grant for the Northeast Trail is uncertain and that, if the federal award does not materialize, the BeltLine is pursuing philanthropic plan B contributions. He also said Segment 5 is expected to be completed this calendar year and noted continued coordination with GDOT for certain bridge areas.

Council members pressed on multimodal considerations for the autonomous pilot, including bicycle and stroller access; Higgs said vehicle selection for the pilot is not yet final and that the question of carrying bikes or strollers remains under study.

The presentation included community events the BeltLine has hosted: a Westside Trail ribbon-cutting, a Big Tigger BeltLine bike festival that distributed more than 255 bicycles, and upcoming arts programming. Higgs closed by saying federal funding will likely not “save us for the next five years,” and that local funding, philanthropic support and TAD (tax allocation district) resources will be needed to complete projects beyond 2030.

Ending: Council members thanked BeltLine representatives and said they will continue follow-ups on funding, connectivity and public-safety questions.