Recently PATH partnered with Georgia State Parks and Rockdale County to complete over five miles of new trails in and around Panola Mountain State Park. The portion of this trail that will get even the most avid hill climber’s attention occurs just east of the Alexander Lake Trailhead in Panola Mountain State Park. Expect almost a mile climb as you leave the trailhead before the descent begins into a thickly forested valley, accented by a serpentine bridge high above a trickling creek (see picture above). You will enjoy a stop near the bridge to view the wonders of this beautiful north Georgia setting. This area, previously slated for development, was recently incorporated into the park to serve as a corridor for the trail.

This segment of the Rockdale River Trail was funded by Georgia State Parks, Rockdale County SPLOST, and your donations to PATH. It quietly opened around February 1st yet remains off the radar of many persons frequenting the nearby Arabia Mountain and South River Trails. The newly opened trail continues south and east all the way to South Rockdale Community Park on Fairview Road. Future segments under design will continue to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit and their new visitor’s center.

In addition to the 5.5 miles recently opened, PATH and Georgia State Parks are partnering to construct several more miles of trails within the Park. One spur trail passes through an historic barn, connecting the main trail to the Panola Mountain State Park Visitor’s Center and the new headquarters for Georgia State Parks on State Route 155 (pictured below). Another spur trail will encircle Alexander Lake with a boardwalk over a portion of the lake. These two trails will be completed around June 1st. Check the PATH website for a precise opening date.

PATH is partnering with the St. Simons Land Trust and Glynn County to propose a trail paralleling Sea Island Road from Demere Road to Frederica Road on the island. This is the last trail segment of the 2005 PATH master plan to be completed on St. Simons Island.

The 2.5 mile-long trail project will include a new pedestrian bridge over Dunbar Creek with fishing “bump- outs” to attract fishermen away from the narrow highway bridge (see picture). The trail will connect the bridge coming onto the island with the Sea Island Causeway Trail that the same partnership built in 2011.

In order to minimize intrusion into the marsh, PATH is proposing to drive fiberglass sheet piles parallel to the road and install the trail and railing on top of the piles (see picture below). The trail will likely cantilever a foot or more past the piles to provide sufficient seperation between the trail and the travel lane.

The conceptual plans will be converted to construction drawings during the year while the search for funding continues. Both PATH and the Land Trust have indicated a willingness to contribute to the project. The Glynn County Commissioners are considering a request to provide funding as well. The entire cost of developing the trail will be around $2.6 million.

Light poles will be moved to the right and the sidewalk removed to make room for the Carrollton Greenbelt.

PATH crews will begin constructing the Carrollton Greenbelt Trail through the University of West Georgia (UWG) campus in Carrollton a few days after students are dismissed in April. Friends of the Greenbelt, the City of Carrollton, and PATH have been planning and designing the trail through UWG for several months.

The Greenbelt Trail will be the centerpiece of a natural greenway through the heart of campus. The trail corridor, along a small creek bed, is largely covered in privet and other invasive plants. The Greenbelt project will create access to the area, minimize unwanted vegetation, and connect multiple cross trails between student housing and classrooms.

James Sutherland, the University’s Vice President of Business and Finance has been an advocate for the project since PATH and the Friends group first proposed it in 2012. “I believe this project will help the University by offering improved connectivity between our campus and the community” he said. “It will also provide an enhanced pedestrian and bicycle route through the interior of campus for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors . We are very grateful for this wonderful and collaborative venture”.

The plan includes a trail roundabout at the main cross trail location. “It will be challenging to persuade students to walk one-way around the center island but that’s our plan” said design consultant Greta deMayo of Kaizen Collaborative. “We are certainly enjoying the design process for this one”.

The plan also includes building a tunnel for the trail under a busy road on campus. Separating the grade will cut down on crosswalk traffic at the street level and provide a seamless ride for trail users.

“This is such an extraordinary opportunity”, said Erica Studdard Director of Friends of the Greenbelt. “Connecting the Greenbelt through the campus will likely result in more students cycling and walking to school rather than driving a car. It should have a noticeable effect”, she said.

The Carrollton Greenbelt is a proposed fifteen mile-long loop trail around the City of Carrollton. The collaboration has completed almost five miles of the trail in the past two years.The construction phase of this phase will be short. Crews cannot begin work until the current semester is over but must finish before students return in August. Landscaping will have to wait until October when cooler weather arrives. For more information about the Carrollton Greebelt, go to http://carrolltongreenbelt.com.

PATH teamed up with Livable Buckhead, the Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID), the City of Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), to develop the trail. Livable Buckhead is leading the pre-construction phase of the project and PATH will manage construction.

The first segment to be developed will connect Old Ivy Road to Lenox Road at Tower Place. Design is being finalized with construction likely to begin this fall. Major work will occur on Lenox Road near Piedmont to make room for the trail against the tall retaining wall (see artist rendering below). The Traffic lanes approaching Piedmont will be narrowed and the median will be altered to provide space for the trail near the wall.

Design documents are being drafted for additional segments of the trail. Preliminary negotiations are underway to secure right-of-way from MARTA, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and a few adjacent property owners. Additional phases of the trail are slated for construction in 2014. For information on this trail go to http://livablebuckhead.com.

Cycle Tracks are somewhat new to the United States. For years, safety experts discouraged two-way cycling on one side of the street saying it was more dangerous than simply riding on the street without any facility. However, studies show that far more people are likely to ride their bike when a separated facility is available and the injury rate either stays the same or decreases.

PATH plans to partner with the City to install more cycle tracks in the coming years. It is a more feasible, less expensive way to extend the PATH system into the city than building traditional multi-use trails.

The Tenth Street cycle track is being funded by the Midtown Alliance and your contributions to PATH. The Monroe to Charles Allen segment should be operational early this summer.

That said, I have always been frustrated by the lack of data available to support the “facts” I have been presenting since I first started hawking trails back in 1991. Back then, I countered the fears of naysayers with information pulled straight from my backside. I wasn’t certain trails would raise property values, promote good health, reduce crime, spur economic activity, and generally improve the quality of life, but I suspected they would. There were no studies to support my point of view so I tried to persuade the uninformed and hope they outnumbered the not-in-my- backyard (NIMBY) crowd so a trail could be built.

Today there are scores of studies available that validate my enthusiasm and “facts” of 1990. There are even studies underway to document the impact some of our Atlanta area trails are having on the region. Healthcare of Georgia has studied the health benefits of the Arabia Mountain Trail on the community south of Lithonia. Police departments are now tracking criminal activity on trails vs. activity before the trails were built. The Northwest Georgia Regional Commission has sponsored a study to measure the economic impact of the Silver Comet Trail on Northwest Georgia. All these studies will help future trail developers respond to hard questions without having to fabricate facts like I used to do.

Purebred NIMBYS may not consider facts to be relevant anyway, but elected officials and permitting agencies are still making decisions based on insufficient data. There are a few additional studies I would I like to see completed to help future trail developers get the job done.

I wish a credible organization, without an agenda, would study the real effect a trail in the woods has on the water quality of the nearby streams. I suspect trail development is being evaluated based on the effects oily roads and litter strewn parking lots have on adjacent waterways. With the infiltration system we have devised for our trails and the cleanliness of their surfaces, I doubt that our ribbon of impervious surface through the forest has any impact on the streams nearby. A study would put the issue to rest.

I contend regular use of our trails contributes to less young adults getting in trouble, fewer divorces, a reduction in mental illness, a reduced dependency on medications, less smoking, better friendships with neighbors, less pedestrians and bicyclists getting injured, healthier dogs, folks more knowledgeable about nature, an increase in advocates for environmental causes, better employees, etc. etc. Anyone want to tackle a study to determine the true impact a trail can have on a community?

So you laughed about one or two of the contentions above, right? Fewer divorces? If there is a family activity that is free, encourages socializing, makes people feel better about themselves, and enhances their health and appearance, is it really a stretch to think a few couples on the brink of divorce could not be swayed by a frequent walk through the woods on a trail?

If we had a study to evaluate this 2013 “fact” list I pulled from my backside, maybe the next twenty-three years of building trails would be easier. I may hang around to find out!

All Bids shall be in accordance with the Contract Documents and the Georgia Department of Transportation Standard Specifications Construction of Transportation Systems, 2001 Edition, and Supplemental Specifications Book, 2008 edition, and applicable Special Provisions and Supplemental Specifications.

BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

Bidders submitting bids over $2,000,000.00 shall be prequalified with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Bidders submitting bids $2,000,000.00 or less shall be prequalified or registered subcontractors with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Proposals will be considered only from experienced and well-equipped contractors.

QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Contractors should submit your questions and/or request for clarification about this contract to jonathan@pathfoundation.org no later than 2:00pm, Tuesday March 19, 2013.