Pedestrian advocacy organization recognizes Livable Buckhead, Buckhead CID, and PATH Foundation for creating walkable connections
ATLANTA – November 3, 2016 – PEDS, metro Atlanta’s pedestrian advocacy organization, presented Golden Shoe Awards on October 25 to people, projects and places that are making communities throughout metro Atlanta and elsewhere in Georgia safe and inviting places to walk. PATH400SM, a 5.2-mile greenway under construction in Buckhead, was awarded a Golden Shoe for Walk-friendly Trail.
PATH400 runs along the spine of GA 400 and, once complete, will provide a pedestrian and bike-friendly connection between neighborhoods, schools, office and retail locations throughout Buckhead. The multi-use greenway will eventually join with the Atlanta BeltLine in the south and trails in Sandy Springs and north Fulton County, providing a key link in a regional trail network.
“It’s an honor to win this award from PEDS,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead, the nonprofit organization spearheading the development of PATH400. “Great partnerships lead to great projects, and the fact that PATH400 has been honored so many times in its short existence speaks volumes about the quality of our partners the Buckhead CID and PATH Foundation. We’re thrilled to add the Golden Shoe to our trophy shelf.”
2016 Golden Shoe Award winners:
Walk-friendly Trail: PATH 400, which has transformed the previously unused right of way for Georgia 400 into a local and regional asset that connects people and places. A section of PATH 400 is adjacent to the Buckhead Loop enables people to walk between residential and commercial areas and the Buckhead MARTA station.
Walk-friendly Leadership: Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Traffic Operations, for making the safety of people who walk a top priority. The Office of Traffic Operations has built strong partnerships and is developing and implementing strategies aimed at reversing it the upward trend in pedestrian fatalities.
Walk-friendly Planning: Walk. Bike. Thrive, a plan with regional impact and local relevance. The plan establishes priorities for allocating federal transportation funds and provides a toolkit that helps local partners improve and expand policies, programs and infrastructure that supports bicycling and walking
Walk-friendly Research: Atlanta’s Hotel District: ADA Transition Plan, a plan for making the Hotel District accessible to all pedestrians. The plan documents the condition of sidewalks, crosswalks and curb ramps needing repair or redesign and recommends, prioritizes and estimates the cost of improvements. The Plan confirms the feasibility of creating ADA Transition Plans and creates a model on how to do so.
Walk-friendly Development: Ponce City Market, which preserved and revitalized the Old Sears building in ways that that attract people on foot from all directions. Ponce City Market is well-integrated into the community and packed with retail that makes it a magnet to people who are walking from all directions.
“As someone who loves to walk and is eager to help others share the joy of walking,” said Sally Flocks, President and CEO of PEDS, “I’m thrilled by the progress partners are making in transforming our streets and communities into places that are safe, inviting and accessible to all pedestrians.
For more information about PATH400 or to sign up to receive project updates, visit livablebuckhead.org.
