Heath & Lineback (A BCC Company) was selected to provide engineering design services for the 5.2-mile PATH400 Greenway Trail. The PATH400 trail is being developed by a partnership between the PATH Foundation, Livable Buckhead, Inc., the Buckhead CID, the City of Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. It is a component of the Buckhead Collection created by Livable Buckhead in 2011 to promote parks, trails, and greenspace in Buckhead. PATH400 will ultimately connect to the Atlanta Beltline near the Lindbergh MARTA station.

This environmentally responsible trail provides recreational and social opportunities, as well as a sense of identity, to nearly 45,000 Buckhead residents. The trail includes walking and biking connections to local schools and to commercial business districts. There are several trail ‘moments’ along the route, including parks, a water feature, and the City of Atlanta’s oldest cemetery. The design for the trail was based upon public engagement conducted prior to design initiation. The trail is an 8’-14’ wide hard surface, multi-use trail for bicyclists, skaters, walkers, runners, and motorized wheelchairs. Several sections of the trail run parallel to existing roadway along Lenox Road and Piedmont Road. These roads were reduced in travel width (road ‘diet’) to create room within available right-of-way to build the new trail behind the curb.

The trail offers four completely different trail experiences – typical multi-use (through a wooded area), commercial/urban, historic residential, and infrastructure (adjacent to transportation such as MARTA). The trail was designed in accordance with AASHTO standards. H&L’s scope of services included concept design and approval, environmental clearance, preparation and approval of final plans, and public engagement. This project required heavy coordination with GDOT, and adherence to many aspects of the GDOT PDP was required.