Committee adopts Trails ATL plan to expand citywide trail network; staff to pursue zoning and funding integration

The Community Development and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to adopt the Trails ATL master plan and incorporate it by reference into the city's comprehensive development plan.

The Trails ATL plan identifies alignments and design guidelines for a citywide network of accessible trails intended to link parks, transit, schools and commercial areas. The plan prioritizes protected greenways over on‑street shared routes, identifies a three‑phase buildout over 30 years and targets a 10‑year first phase that would add 34 miles to the existing roughly 80 miles of trail in Atlanta.

Why it matters: The plan seeks to expand off‑road and protected trail connections that staff and survey respondents said would increase active transportation and recreational access. Department of Parks and Recreation staff and PATH Foundation consultants said public engagement included four rounds of outreach, 123 public meetings, 26 focus groups and 2,743 survey responses. In the final NPU round, 24 of 25 NPUs voted in favor of trails.

Plan highlights and next steps: The Trails ATL map identifies greenway alignments within public land and easements, along with side‑path and connector options. Staff emphasized that the plan identifies alignments but not final designs; each alignment will require detailed community engagement, right‑of‑way analysis and funding plans. Department staff said the next implementation steps are to (1) incorporate trail requirements into the zoning code where appropriate, (2) include the alignments in the comprehensive transportation plan, and (3) pursue funding strategies for construction and long‑term maintenance.

Public concerns raised during the hearing focused on maintenance, security and displacement. Committee members asked about security measures and cameras; PATH and Parks staff said the Atlanta Police Department’s BeltLine Path Force provides an existing model, and that cameras and lighting would be evaluated on a trail‑by‑trail basis because costs and community preferences vary. Staff also noted the need to coordinate with park rangers, lighting designers and environmental work to avoid harming wildlife.

Adoption: The committee voted 6‑0 to adopt Trails ATL into the City of Atlanta Comprehensive Development Plan with staff direction to proceed with zoning and transportation plan integration and to develop funding and maintenance strategies.

What happens next: Staff will begin project‑level outreach, design and funding work on phase‑1 alignments and return to council with detailed implementation priorities, funding requests and specific draft zoning or code language where applicable.