East Point’s ambitious PATH trail plans, in renderings

City’s goal is to implement first 10 miles in next five years

By Josh Green@JoshGreen1234 Jan 9, 2017, 1:23pm EST

In renderings, a proposed multi-use path and pedestrian bridge connecting downtown East Point to Tri-Cities High School. — A proposed multi-use path and pedestrian bridge connecting downtown East Point to Tri-Cities High School.

East Point is getting serious about attracting millennials and the companies that employ them by way of Beltline-esque, multi-use trails — which, in turn, could present a whole new way of traversing the ITP city.

We’re told that city government recently approved PATH Foundation plans for a system of bicycle and pedestrian trails that could eventually span nearly 25 miles and link into the Beltline’s southern crescent.

It’s called the East Point PATH. And construction on the first segment is projected to begin in the third quarter of this year.

The grand vision calls for 16 trail segment connecting major job centers, schools, parks, and the city’s downtown, though key parcels have yet to be acquired, and it sounds like federal and state funds would be required for construction beyond 2020.

The Trail Master Plan spells out the initiative’s background and goals in great detail.

Construction of specific, high-priority segments is expected to span between this year and 2021, costing north of $7 million from existing public and private funds. The goal is to complete nearly 10 miles of multi-use trails in the next five years.