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54-587: PATH400 will be ca. 5.2 miles (8.4 km) long, extending from Loridans Drive south to the Atlanta BeltLine ’s Peachtree Creek spur trail. The trail will be 10 feet (3.0 m) to 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and traverse the neighborhoods of North Buckhead , Peachtree Park and Lindmont LaVista. It is intended to be the "spine of Buckhead’s Trails and Greenways Subsystem, part of the Buckhead Collection, connecting parks, trails, schools and neighborhoods to

108-644: A court decision to remand the approval of the merger on May 13, 1965, citing the Clayton Antitrust Act . Following another round of court decisions in 1966, the merger was allowed to proceed, and did so on July 1, 1967. The result was the creation of the Seaboard Coast Line . The backbone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was its main line, which ran nearly 900 miles from Richmond, Virginia to just south of Tampa, Florida . By 1952,

162-661: A half-mile of the Beltline, home values increased between 17.9 and 26.6% between 2011 and 2015. In 2016, project founder Ryan Gravel resigned from the Beltline Partnership board of directors. Since Gravel's resignation, there have been a few protests to challenge gentrification caused by expanding the Beltline. However, there are many supporters of the Beltline because it is responsible for revitalizing many Atlanta neighborhoods that were in decline, creating 50,000 permanent jobs, and bringing $ 10 billion of economic development to

216-549: A national non-profit, partnered with the Atlanta Beltline project and acquired 33 properties, totaling 1,300 acres (530 ha). These properties will increase Atlanta's green space by nearly 40%. The Beltline will be connected to MARTA 's first bus rapid transit (BRT) line. The line is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2025 with revenue service beginning in late 2025. The 5-mile line will run from downtown Atlanta, through Summerhill, and end at

270-646: A regulatory climate in Virginia that was better suited to the company than that in other states, the ACL of Virginia took control of the other lines and subsequently shortened its name to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company. In 1898, Petersburg Railroad and the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad formally merged, and two years later the combined company took control of the ACL's routes south of Virginia and

324-681: A ring of trails and parks originated in a 1991 proposal by the Georgia Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. In 1993, a similar plan was promoted by city planner Alycen Whiddon and adopted Atlanta City Council as part of the city's 15-year Parks, Open Space and Greenway Trails. In his 1999 master's degree thesis, Georgia Tech architectural student Ryan Gravel, proposed a version of the project that included fixed-rail transit without trail or parks. in 2000, while working for an Atlanta architectural firm, Gravel and two of his colleagues, Mark Arnold and Sarah Edgens, summarized his thesis added in

378-551: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . BeltLine The Atlanta Beltline is an open and planned loop of 22 miles (35 km) of multi-use trail and light rail transit on a former railway corridor around the core of Atlanta , Georgia . The Atlanta Beltline is designed to reconnect neighborhoods and communities historically divided and marginalized by infrastructure, improve transportation, add green space , promote redevelopment , create and preserve affordable housing, and showcase arts and culture. The project

432-803: Is an 1888 map of Atlanta produced by the United States Geological Survey which labels a railway segment (possibly belonging to the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway ) as the "Belt Line R.R." Still under heavy use today, this railway segment begins in the Howell Mill area near the Inman Yard, passes through the Westside Provisions area, connects to the Atlanta Amtrak station, continues northeast paralleling I-85 , and continues on north of

486-522: Is expected to be completed by 2022. Upon completion, the total combined interconnected trail distance around Atlanta for PATH Foundation trails, the Atlanta Beltline, and the Silver Comet Trail will be the longest paved trail surface in the U.S., totaling about 300 Miles (480 km). In 2004, The Trust for Public Land commissioned Alexander Garvin to produce a report, The Beltline Emerald Necklace: Atlanta's New Public Realm. This report showed

540-600: Is in varying stages of development, with several mainline and spur trails complete. Since the passage of the More MARTA sales tax in 2016, construction of the light rail streetcar system is overseen by MARTA in close partnership with Atlanta Beltline, Inc. The Beltline will be connected to MARTA 's first bus rapid transit (BRT) line. The line is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2025 with revenue service beginning in late 2025. The 5-mile line will run from downtown Atlanta, through Summerhill, and end at

594-463: Is working with Sandy Springs to jointly submit support packages to GDOT. The city of Roswell has been considering expanding the trail northward to Roswell. On October 25, 2017, consultants presented early plans for an extension of the PATH400 to the city of Sandy Springs. Colorful crosswalks and Star Wars themed chalk art have been displayed on the greenway. This Atlanta, Georgia –related article

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648-408: The busy downtown railway system and alleviate rail congestion. After roughly 30 years of development, the belt of rail around Atlanta was realized. The rail belt was constructed from four separate rail segments, each owned and operated by different railway companies. In chronological order, the four original "belt" rail lines were: Perhaps the earliest official reference to an Atlanta "belt line"

702-593: The Georgia Department of Transportation . Developer Wayne Mason had purchased most of the NS portion, in anticipation of the Beltline, but later sold it after conflict with the city. The total length will be 22 miles (35 km), running about 3 miles (4.8 km) on either side of Atlanta's elongated central business district. It is planned to include a neighborhood-serving transit system (likely streetcars); footpaths, including bicycling, rollerskating , and walking ; and

756-634: The Louisville and Nashville Railroad as well as the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway , though the two were never merged into the ACL and were operated independently. The ACL acquired the East Carolina Railway in 1935, running south from Tarboro to Hookerton , although the 12-mile extension to Hookerton was abandoned in 1933. The ACL's last major acquisition was the Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad , which it purchased in 1927, though

810-552: The Norfolk and Carolina Railroad , which operated from Norfolk, Virginia to Tarboro, North Carolina . These mergers created an ACL system reaching from southern Virginia to South Carolina and Georgia. Other small acquisitions took place in 1901, and in 1902 the ACL took over the Plant System , which operated numerous lines within Florida and Georgia. This same year the ACL took control of

864-876: The Pennsylvania Railroad north of Washington, D. C., then via the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad from Washington to Richmond. Tampa/St. Petersburg trains used ACL rails south of Richmond all the way to their destinations. Trains for Miami ran on the Florida East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to Miami, but after passenger service on the FEC effectively ended with a long-lasting strike in 1963, ACL transferred its Miami-bound trains to Seaboard rails at Auburndale, Florida . New York-Florida routes: Midwest-Florida routes: Other routes: In Preston Sturges' 1942 comedy The Palm Beach Story , main character Gerry Jeffers ( Claudette Colbert ) boards

918-507: The Surface Transportation Board that would effectively block the northeast part of the Beltline, instead taking it for future intercity rail . However, this conflict was later resolved. Atlanta Beltline Art is the city of Atlanta's largest temporary public art exhibition that showcases the work of hundreds of visual artists, performers, and musicians along nine miles (14 km) of the Beltline corridor. The first exhibition

972-644: The Telephone Factory Lofts , and the DuPre Excelsior Mill and the Pencil Factory and N. Highland Steel in Inman Park Village. Due to the massive surge in interest in Beltline adjacent properties and subsequently increased pricing of such properties, many property developers have purchased land in previously low-income neighborhoods and transformed them into luxury living. For homes within

1026-480: The 1920s the railroad's main line from Richmond, Virginia to Jacksonville, Florida had been double-tracked, which benefited the railroad during the 1920s when Florida boomed. In 1928 the ACL completed a line between Perry, Florida and Drifton, near Monticello, Florida , the last link of the new " Perry Cutoff ". This created a more direct route between Chicago and Florida's west coast and bypassing Jacksonville, one which passed through Macon, Albany, and Thomasville,

1080-474: The 1920s the two largest shop sites were at South Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Waycross, Georgia , each of which employed about 2,000 workers. To handle extensions into Florida, in 1926 the ACL established the Uceta shops and yard outside of Tampa, Florida at a cost of $ 2 million. By the early 1900s the railroad had largely reached its final configuration and began to focus on upgrading its physical plant. By

1134-623: The 1950s, the ACL acquired some 13,000 new freight cars, to be used on high-speed trains offering reduced running times compared to earlier equipment. This allowed the railroad to remain competitive in the face of competition from the Interstate highway system . The ACL's passenger traffic consisted almost entirely of Florida-bound traffic, largely from the Northeast, but also from the Midwest via trains that were operated by multiple railroads and handled by

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1188-586: The AB&;C was not merged into the ACL until 1945. Upon the formal incorporation of the ACL in 1900, an assessment was made of its repair and maintenance facilities. The oldest inherited shop site was at Wilmington, North Carolina , which dated to 1840. The shops in Florence, South Carolina were a bit more modern, having been upgraded in 1883. However, the sprawling ACL system needed larger and more modern facilities to handle locomotive overhauls and freight car building. By

1242-623: The ACL at their southern ends. In 1939, in response to the Seaboard's popular new streamliner, the Silver Meteor , the ACL launched its first streamlined train, the all-coach Champion . ACL invested heavily in its passenger fleet after World War II but passenger revenue fell from $ 28.5 million in 1946 to $ 14.1 million in 1959. Until its 1967 merger the railroad continued to maintain and improve its passenger service, even replacing old stations with new. All of ACL's New York - Florida trains ran on

1296-652: The Ansley Golf Club. The map notes that this segment meets the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway line at a point labeled as "Belt Junction". Though not considered a "belt line" railroad, the Beltline also uses right-of-way from the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for the Westside Connector Trail and the northernmost portion of Segment 4 of the Westside Trail. The idea to turn the rail corridors into

1350-457: The Atlanta area, is a partner in the development of this portion of the system. As of mid-2024, there are almost 11 miles of completed mainline trail and 10 miles of connector trails. The Eastside Trail stretches from Piedmont Park in the north to Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward in the south, passing by the greatest concentration of industrial architecture in Atlanta adapted for residential reuse and as offices, retail, dining and shopping,

1404-641: The Beecher Hills and Westwood Terrace neighborhoods. The existing 1.15-mile trail is set to be part of an eventual 4.5-mile trail. There are five gaps along the Beltline where rights of way do not connect and thus create larger challenges to the project. In September 2019 the James M. Cox Foundation gave $ 6 Million to the PATH Foundation which will connect the Silver Comet Trail to The Atlanta Beltline which

1458-523: The Beltline. The BRT line named the "MARTA Rapid Summerhill", will utilize new 60-foot articulated electric buses . The 22-mile (35 km) light rail streetcar component of the Beltline plan was originally developed in 1999 as the central focus of a master's thesis by Georgia Tech student Ryan Gravel. The vision has expanded to include trails, parks and greenspace, streetscapes, public art, affordable housing, economic development, environmental sustainability, and historic preservation. In summer 2012, there

1512-411: The Beltline. The BRT line named the "MARTA Rapid Summerhill", will utilize new 60-foot articulated electric buses . The name "Beltline" and its development is rooted in Atlanta's historic association with railroads. During post-Civil War reconstruction , Atlanta experienced significant population growth, increasing demand for rail infrastructure. In response, a "belt" of railway was proposed to bypass

1566-567: The Depression. During World War II ACL's passenger traffic increased 200% and freight traffic 150%. The railroad provided a submarine-proof alternative to coastal shipping, and it also served the fast-emerging military industry in the Southeast. In 1942, Champion McDowell Davis (nicknamed "Champ") became president of the ACL after starting with the railroad in the 1890s as a messenger boy. He immediately began an improvement program that finished in

1620-759: The Northwest Beltline trails project. This donation combined with previous gifts ensured that the funding is now in place to complete the full 22-mile trail corridor by 2030. The Beltline will feature a continuous path encircling the central part of the city, generally following the old railroad right of way, but departing from it in several areas along the northwest portion of the route. In total, 33 miles (53 km) of multi-use paths are to be built, including spur trails connecting to neighborhoods. The Beltline connects 45 diverse neighborhoods, some of which are Atlanta's most underserved parks. The PATH Foundation , which has many years of experience building such trails in

1674-650: The Southeast Trail will extend 2.5 miles and connect the Eastside and Southside Trails. A completed and open portion links to the Eastside Trail near Krog Street Tunnel and continues southeast through Reynoldstown. The in-construction segment will run from there to Boulevard Southeast. The Southwest Connector Spur Trail stretches through woods, starting at the Lionel Hampton Trail, ending at Westwood Avenue serving

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1728-730: The W&;W and the W&M (renamed the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta) began using the Atlantic Coast Line name to advertise the two lines. An investor from Baltimore, William T. Walters , gained control of these separate railroads after the Civil War , and operated them as a network of independent companies. In 1897–98, most of the South Carolina lines in Walters' system were consolidated under

1782-577: The Westside Trail. The Westside Trail, opened in September 2017, is 3.2 miles in length and is in the old railroad corridor. The Westside Trail stretches from West Marietta Street and ends at I-20. Along parts of the Westside Trail, the West End trail runs parallel and just outside of the old rail corridor. The first section of the Northside Trail opened in 2010 and forms part of a larger network of trails at

1836-471: The city. In 2017, BeltLine CEO Paul Morris resigned. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ( reporting mark ACL ) was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad . Much of

1890-575: The company operated over 5,000 miles of track including the main line and numerous secondary lines and branch lines. The network extended as far west as Birmingham, Alabama and as far south as Everglades City, Florida at its height. During its early years, the ACL handled mostly seasonal agricultural products, but by World War II its freight traffic had become more diverse. During the 1950s, around 44% of all freight traffic consisted of manufactured and miscellaneous items, while bulk traffic like coal and phosphates also expanded during this time. During

1944-565: The earlier trails and parks concept, and mailed copies to two dozen influential Atlantans. Cathy Woolard , then a City Council member, was an early supporter. She, Gravel, Arnold, and Edgens spent the next several months promoting the idea of the Beltline to neighborhood groups, and Atlanta business and civic leaders. To advocate for the project, they formed the non-profit Friends of the Belt Line. Eventually, Woolard, by then City Council president, convinced Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin , to support

1998-490: The end of 1960 was 5,570 not including A&WP, CN&L, East Carolina, Georgia, Rockingham, and V&CS. In 1960, ACL reported 10,623 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 490 million passenger-miles. The earliest predecessor of the ACL was the Petersburg Railroad between Petersburg, Virginia , and a point near Weldon, North Carolina , founded in 1830. A route between Richmond, Virginia , and Petersburg

2052-625: The expansion of transit. In 2019, MARTA's Board of Directors adopted the program implementation plan for More MARTA funds, including the expansion of the existing Atlanta Streetcar tracks to the Atlanta Beltline corridor via the Streetcar East Extension) and the Streetcar West Extension. Also included in the funding are Beltline Northeast LRT, Beltline Southwest LRT, and Beltline Southeast LRT. In late January 2009, GDOT and Amtrak made an unannounced and last-minute filing with

2106-642: The idea. But a series of studies of the idea, notable the Trust for Public Lands' "Beltline Emerald Necklace" report, concluded that trails, greenways, affordable housing and zoning changes should be tackled before Gravel's proposed rail line. Ultimately, in 2005, Atlanta City Council adopted "BeltLine Redevelopment Plan," which was prepared by the Atlanta Development Authority, reflected these priorities. The railroad tracks and rights-of-way were owned mostly by CSX Transportation , Norfolk Southern , and

2160-493: The mid-1950s, including the rebuilding of several hundred miles of track, the installation of modern signaling systems and improvements to freight yards . The railroad spent at least $ 268 million in upgrading its physical plant during this period. On June 30, 1955, the railroad retired its last steam locomotive. In 1956 the railroad moved its headquarters, which had been sited at and adjacent to Wilmington, North Carolina's Union Station to Jacksonville, Florida . Jacksonville

2214-412: The most notable example being Ponce City Market . The first trail to be built on the Beltline, the 2.4-mile West End Trail, was opened in 2008. It edges the neighborhood of the same name as well as serving Mozley Park and Westview . The trail stretches from White Street to Westview Cemetery and is built next to city streets. In 2013, the project received a federal grant of $ 18 million to develop

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2268-476: The name of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina. In 1898, as the companies moved towards combining themselves into a single system, the lines in Virginia were combined into the new Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of Virginia, and the lines in North Carolina underwent a similar process in 1899, becoming the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of North Carolina. In 1899 or 1900, due to

2322-565: The original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986. The Atlantic Coast Line served the Southeast , with a concentration of lines in Florida. Numerous named passenger trains were operated by the railroad for Florida-bound tourists, with the Atlantic Coast Line contributing significantly to Florida's economic development in the first half of the 20th century. At the end of 1925, ACL operated 4,924 miles of road, not including its flock of subsidiaries; after some merging, mileage at

2376-496: The potential unified system. The results showed that the merger could save considerable money through savings incurred and reduced expenditures to the amount of $ 38 million annually. On August 18, 1960, the merger was approved by shareholders of both railroads. In 1963, a merger between the two companies was approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission , however, petitions for reconsideration were filed leading to

2430-514: The public a vision of transformation for the Beltline. The Beltline plan calls for the creation of a series of parks throughout the city creating what the working plan, The Beltline Emerald Necklace , calls the 13 "Beltline Jewels"; they would be connected by the trail and transit components of the plan. In total, the Beltline will create or rejuvenate 1,300 acres (530 ha) of greenspace. The plan would expand these existing parks: It would also create these new parks: The Trust for Public Land,

2484-545: The redevelopment of some 2,544 acres (1,030 ha). The project (although not the funding for it) is included in the 25-year Mobility 2030 plan of the Atlanta Regional Commission for improving transit. As of 2014, the project's planners estimated they had 17 years left before the project would be completed, and no light-rail lines had yet been built. In 2005 the Atlanta Beltline Partnership

2538-606: The route followed by ACL's passenger train Southland from December 1928 to 1957 when it was rerouted to Jacksonville. During the Great Depression ACL's freight traffic declined by around 60%, but the railroad survived the 1930s without declaring bankruptcy; its success in this regard has been attributed to its leadership and careful financial practices, as well as owning the Louisville and Nashville, which remained strong through

2592-830: The south end of Buckhead , the northern third of the city, in and around Tanyard Creek Park in the Collier Hills area. An additional stretch, the Northside Spur Trail was opened 2015. The trail will eventually connect to the Peachtree Creek Greenway and the PATH400 once complete. Once complete, the Southside Trail will extend 2.4 miles. A completed portion links to the Southwest Trail near Metropolitan Parkway just past Pittsburgh Yards®. Once it's finished,

2646-464: The urban core of Buckhead and ultimately to the Atlanta BeltLine ." The PATH400 Trail is a partnership between Buckhead CID, Livable Buckhead and the PATH Foundation , and is estimated to cost $ 10 million. City and Federal funding of $ 12.66 million was approved at the end of 2017. Additional plans include connecting Dunwoody to the multi-use trail. According to a staff memo to the council, Roswell

2700-469: Was a referendum on whether a 1-cent sales tax ( SPLOST ) should be implemented to fund traffic and road improvements. If approved, the tax would have funded several streetcar routes along portions of the Beltline trail and connections to MARTA stations and the Downtown Loop streetcar. The sales tax did not pass. In 2016, City of Atlanta voters passed the More MARTA sales tax, providing $ 1.3 billion for

2754-580: Was built by the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad , which was founded in 1836. In 1840 the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad , at the time known as the Wilmington and Raleigh and renamed in 1855, completed a route between Weldon and Wilmington, North Carolina . From Wilmington, the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad began operations in 1853 to Florence, South Carolina , where the Northeastern Railroad operated to Charleston, South Carolina . In 1871,

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2808-408: Was formed and in 2006 Atlanta Beltline, Inc. was formed and work began to develop the project. In September 2019 the James M. Cox Foundation gave $ 6 Million to the PATH Foundation which will connect the Silver Comet Trail to The Atlanta Beltline which is expected to be completed by 2022. In May 2022, the James M. Cox foundation announced a $ 30 million pledge to the PATH Foundation in support of

2862-515: Was in 2010. There also is a considerable amount of spontaneous unofficial street art to be found throughout the Beltline ranging from murals to sculptures. Many former industrial buildings alongside the Beltline, particularly the Eastside Trail , have been repurposed for residential and retail use, such as Amsterdam Walk , Ponce City Market , Ford Factory Lofts , the Krog Street Market ,

2916-450: Was selected from three candidate cities, the other two being Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina . Construction of the new office complex was finished in July 1960, with the move from Wilmington completed over the following weeks. As early as October 1958 the ACL and competitor Seaboard Air Line Railroad had discussed the possibility of a merger, initiating extensive studies on

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