The DIRT on PATH400: PATH400: We Delivered Some Big Sh*t in 2025

Like that headline? I finally got to say it just the way I really meant it and dodge the editors who try to keep me totally PC. To anyone who was offended by my potty mouth, sorry. But let’s face it, most of my loyal readers were not surprised and maybe even got a chuckle.

This is my favorite picture of that sexy bridge. Even Mother Nature played along and delivered the sun rays.

2025 was the year we actually did the thing

Remember when PATH400 was “just a concept,” or “too hard,” or my favorite, “never going to happen”? Well, HA. We did not just sit around and dream about it or study it to death. We did it. After all, getting stuff done is a core organizational value, no joke.

Yep. We built it.

More than three miles of trail are now open and connected, including the 80-foot-high treetop bridge between Wieuca and Loridans. It is higher than the one in Sandy Springs and any on the BeltLine, but who is keeping track? Me, of course. Dead ends are disappearing. “Wait, this connects?!” moments are multiplying. We even successfully navigated federally regulated bats, because nothing says urban infrastructure delivery like pausing construction to negotiate with wildlife. You are welcome, bats. Big park vision work is done for Loridans Park and Mountain Way Common. Look for construction in 2026. We also added an outdoor workout and fitness area at Old Ivy, so your casual stroll can suddenly become cross-training.

Now let’s talk about our favorite part: the money

PATH400 is fully funded. Read that again. Slowly. Tens of millions of dollars were leveraged through partnerships, grants, and an unreasonable amount of persistence. Translation: no cliffhangers. This thing is finishing. The hard parts are paid for and the trail is getting built. There is still work ahead to fund long-term operations, maintenance, and the nice-to-haves, but there are no cliffhangers on delivery. Construction is funded. The extras and the unglamorous but essential work of maintenance and stewardship still rely on community support, because building something nice and then not taking care of it would be a choice. A bad one.

And people?

They are using the heck out of it, especially the new section from Wieuca to Loridans. Hundreds of users every week. Commuters, runners, families, cyclists, and dogs who now believe this trail exists solely for them. The thing that warms my heart the most is the moms and kids getting bonding time and sneaky exercise by walking to school. To the mom who stopped me on the trail a few weeks ago to tell me how much she loves it, thank you. How do we know people are using it? We do have counters, but I have not even looked at those. I can tell by the massive amount of dog poop.

We have had City crews picking up twice a week and switched to trash-only cans just to keep up with our four-legged friends. Special thanks to Parks Commissioner Cutler and District Maintenance Supervisor Michael Gesse for walking the trail with me to understand where the needs are. One favor to ask. If the waste bins are full, please take your poop bag home with you. Do not pile them up. This is a community effort, and that is just gross.

So what’s next?

2026 is all about finishing it, making it nicer, taking care of our investments, and planning connections. That means pushing construction to Sandy Springs, kicking off Highland and Adina, and moving Old Ivy, Loridans, and Mountain Way Common from plans to active construction.

Confession time

I am a little, actually totally, jealous of Sandy Springs’ bridge up to Windsor. Check it out. I can practically hear that picture. It looks like piano keys. I love it. And our partners at the City of Sandy Springs, Allen Johnson and Maggie Grant, are crushing it.

Loridans to Sandy Springs

Enough whining about Sandy Springs. Our section has gotten cool too. While I was bundled up staying warm, crews poured 700 linear feet of trail and the switchback is taking shape. The progress is real.

It also means connections

Next up is designing connections like the one from PATH400 to Blue Heron Nature Preserve and on to Chastain Park. This one is going to be special, bringing two of Buckhead’s best green spaces directly to PATH400. We are completing a scoping study that explored 40 segments and identified preferred alignments. The next step is confirming those alignments with stakeholders, followed by funding design.

Stay in the know

We are launching a community calendar to help you keep up with what is happening in Buckhead. You can submit an event or just check it out to see what is coming up.

Loridans and Mountain Way Parks

We have been working with the Department of Parks and Recreation to finalize construction plans for these two parks and are nearly ready to go. Next steps include bringing a contractor on board, getting real pricing, and understanding how far the City bond funding will stretch. We will be coming your way with a capital campaign in Q2. Start scraping together those pennies and earmark them for your neighborhood parks. Investing close to home is hard to beat. Check out the vision plans for the parks.