All Bids shall be in accordance with the Contract Documents and the “Georgia DOT Standard Specifications Construction of Transportation Systems, 2001 Edition”, and “GDOT Supplemental Specifications for Construction of Roads and Bridges, 2008 Edition”.

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, Friday May 4, 2012.

“GDOT was a good partner for us right from the beginning” said Ed McBrayer, Executive Director of PATH. “The Department has been supportive of us every step of the way.”

GDOT Board members Emory McClinton and R. L. Brown both praised PATH during the ceremony. “The PATH Foundation has been able to connect our districts,” said McClinton, whose district primarily covers the City of Atlanta. “This has truly been a public-private partnership,” Brown added.
Not only has GDOT administered the TE program and allowed PATH to participate, they have provided right-of-way for trails such as US 278 between Rockmart and Cedartown, and have invited PATH to be part of the decision making process for many bike and pedestrian issues.

We are honored to be recognized by the Department in this way. We look forward to working with GDOT to build and improve facilities for bicycles and pedestrians around the state.

It seems like a decade since the colossal rainstorm of September 21, 2009 stopped and stayed over southeastern central Paulding County for hours, dropping as much as 19 inches of rain in a 24 hour period in some areas.  The epicenter of this historic storm that flooded hundreds of homes and took out highway bridges in three counties, was centered over south central Paulding County. The embankment near Weddington Road where the trail is approximately a hundred feet above the surrounding forest failed under the torrent of water, sending trees, mud, and rocks onto Weddington Road and into the valley below. The failure of the banks left the trail precariously perched atop the embankment with eroded, near vertical cliffs on either side. The County immediately closed the trail while assessments took place.

The trail remained closed at mile 15 for several weeks until temporary fencing and warning signs could be erected along each side of the trail. In some places, the failed bank was less than ten feet from the trail. Paulding re-opened the trail after engineering assessments and fencing was completed.

The County sought federal disaster relief to help restore the embankment. Ultimately, the County received aid that required local participation. All-in-all the repair cost exceeded $1,500,000.

Thanks to Paulding County for staying with this effort and defending the need to restore the trail. It was a long ordeal that required perseverance. Thank you for patiently waiting for the detour to disappear.

The 2.5 mile-long Eastside Trail will connect Piedmont Park and the Historic Fourth Ward Park to the Freedom Park Trail and DeKalb Avenue. Construction of the section between Irwin Street and DeKalb Avenue will be delayed to allow for the reconstruction of the Edgewood Avenue bridge to be completed.  The Eastside trail presently under construction will temporarily end at Irwin Street.

Plan to attend the grand opening of this trail to celebrate completion of the first section of Atlanta BeltLine Trail built on   the abandoned railroad. Watch for grand opening information at pathfoundation.org or atlantabeltline.org.

The recently completed trail was built by a public-private partnership between PATH, the City of Woodbine, and Camden County.The County prepped the corridor and backfilled the trail after completion. The City obtained the necessary permits and helped the County salvage the ballast along the corridor. PATH provided $195,000 from your donations to install the trail.

The Georgia Coast Rail Trail is being built on a 68 mile-long abandoned rail bed from Riceboro to Kingsland just a few miles from the coast.

Georgia Coast Rail Trail, Inc. a nonprofit group promoting trail development along the corridor, is actively pursuing new segments of the trail to build. There are presently six miles of the Georgia Coast Rail Trail constructed.

This extension will bring the Olde Town Conyers trail over halfway from Olde Town Conyers to the existing Rockdale River Trail. Future segments of the Olde Town Conyers Trail will likely follow the master plan that PATH completed for the City of Conyers in 2006 and intersect the Rockdale River Trail close to Klondike Road and the South River.

This two mile-long segment will feature scenic views, rock outcroppings, a bridge, and a boardwalk over a wetland area. It is being funded by 4A International and your donations to PATH.

The trail is already a favorite destination for dog walkers, baby strollers and walkers who have been searching for a safe place to recreate. Construction began in March and will continue through June. Visit pathfoundation.org for construction updates and a grand opening date for this trail.

Thirty percent of the proceeds from the race will be donated to charitywater.org, a nonprofit group providing clean water in countries where water quality is poor.

The race begins at the Atlanta end of the Silver Comet Trail. Participants will spend the night in both Rockmart and Weaver, Alabama during the race.  Race organizers will provide shuttle services for personal gear.

If you are one of these incredibly fit individuals and want to join the race this year, go to the Chief Ladiga Silver Comet Sk8 Challenge Facebook page or contact organizers on line at skatefurther.com.

The sprint-triathlon will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a 400-yard swim in the Chastain Park pool, a 15-mile bike ride up and down the hills around the park, and conclude with a 5K run on the Chastain Park Trail.

Proceeds from the triPATHlon will benefit all three host organizations: PATH, The Chastain Park Conservancy and The Chastain Park Athletic Club.

Our title sponsor last year, Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead has agreed to return for year two, along with The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta Cycling, Peachtree Orthopaedic, Road Runner Sports and Cox Media Group. “We are proud to return as the title sponsor of the triPATHlon event this year,” said Greg Baranco, President of Mercedes Benz of Buckhead.  “PARH is a worthy cause that we are pleased to support.”

Brian Cosgray, spokesperson for the PATH committee organizing the event says a few changes will be made this year to improve the event. “We are adding the opportunity for team entries. This means three athletes can team-up; one swimming, one cycling, and one running, rather than one person completing all three phases of the race,” Brian explained. “The option for team participation will attract many people who do not necessarily excel in all three race segments.”

Ed McBrayer, PATH’s Executive Director appreciated the heightened awareness of PATH that the event caused. “Many Atlanta residents do not know that a private, non-profit group builds and maintains Atlanta’s trails. More people do now thanks to the publicity surrounding the triPATHlon events,” Ed said. “Brian and the committee have also improved the race layout to enhance the spectator experience. The community showed us a great deal of support last year. We look forward to more participants and spectators at this year’s triathlon.”

“The Chastain Park Athletic Club (CPAC) is pleased to serve as hosts for the pool portion of the race again this year,” said Jim King, Chairman of CPAC. “Not only do we offer a fantastic pool for a triathlon event, we also provide year-round training and fitness amenities for swimmers. We look forward to another great event on May 6th.”

New in 2012 is a kids “Splash & Dash” event that will feature a swimming and biking competition for kids ages six to fourteen.  Distances are age appropriate, with a 50 to 200 yard swim in the Chastain Pool, and a 500 meter to 2k run, out and back on the Chastain PATH.  This is the first event under the USAT Youth Initiative to encourage youth multi-sport participation. The entry fee is $25.

The triPATHlon is a fully sanctioned USAT sprint triathlon and one of few ‘in-town’ triathlon events in the country. The event will be limited to the first 550 registering. The entry fee is $75 for USAT members, $85 for non-members, and $125 for team registration. To register and get the latest information go to tripathlonatlanta.com.