Atlanta Beltline surpasses $300M in funding after major donation

Atlanta’s Beltline project is on track to complete a planned 22-mile loop by 2030 after raising more than $300 million for new trail construction, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday.

Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs told the newspaper the effort got a boost from a new, $80 million donation from The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. That, in addition to local tax funding and federal grants, allows the agency to remain on schedule.

“To me, this is one of the best examples of collaboration and something that’s yielded some significant benefits for our city today and obviously in the future,” Higgs said.

Roughly eight miles of the 22-mile path have been paved. The city approved a special tax in March that officials estimate will bring in $100 million for trail construction.

The full cost of the trail is estimated at $350 million. Higgs said the Beltline plans to pursue state and federal dollars and donations to close the funding gap.