As of today’s official Westside Trail ribbon-cutting, Atlanta Beltline connectivity has never been better. But while the project’s newest segment is a vital link between earlier trails, neighborhoods, and even downtown, it’s also a study in contrasts. 

The Westside Trail’s only missing piece—the 1.3-mile Segment 4—is officially open for runners, cyclists, walkers, and anyone else not traveling by motorized vehicle, marking a “major milestone” for the broader project, as officials recently said.  

It provides a wooded section shaded by towering trees, views of vast templates for planned development, seating and shade structures, and easy-to-navigate connections to surface streets. But it also lends a front-row seat to residential blight like no Beltline pathway before it. 

North view from Segment 4, with the Azalea Gardens community at right. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The Segment 4 opening means 6.8 miles of contiguous, mainline Beltline pathway has now been pieced together, the longest stretch to date. The finished Westside Trail connects neighborhoods around the loop from Huff Road in Blandtown down to Pittsburgh Yards, directly south of downtown. 

The Westside Trail’s newest section is also now linked with the 1.7-mile connector trail that spokes out of downtown, providing a route to the city's commercial core.

Latest construction progress map for the Beltline's 22-mile loop, with the 1.3-mile Westside Trail's Segment 4 (now complete) at left.Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The Beltline and its city partners have ambitious plans to build an influx of housing—to the tune of 3,300 units, eventually—on parcels just west of the new trail section, north of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.

Elsewhere, as this photo essay illustrates, existing (and crumbling) multifamily projects just east of the new trail are clearly also in need of attention. 

Segment 4 broke ground in March 2023. Today it includes bridges and other elevated structures, a fiber duct bank, vertical connections to several neighborhood streets, security cameras, and lighting, alongside storm drainage and management systems with green infrastructure. Part of Segment 4 was opened last fall, but a gap of nearly a mile remained. (Find a tour of that earlier section here.) 

Pedal up to the gallery for a look at the Westside Trail’s last crucial piece to be filled in, starting from its northern end. 

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