The Sandy Springs City Council was told that construction will begin in early 2027 on the Peachtree Dunwoody Bike/Pedestrian Trail project.
Allen Johnson, TSPLOST program manager for the city, updated the council on Tuesday, Oct. 15, about the status of the $6.1 million Last Mile Connectivity project, which will feature a 12-foot multi-use trail for bikes and pedestrians from the Sandy Springs MARTA station to within a mile of their destination.
He said the project aims to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety and access on the west side of Peachtree Dunwoody Road from Hammond Drive to Mt. Vernon Highway. The Perimeter Community Improvement District will provide half the funding for the project, while transportation sales tax dollars will fund the other half.
Johnson said the project will integrate with the Peachtree Dunwoody Lake Hearn Connectivity Project, PATH 400, and the Mt. Vernon Highway Corridor Improvements.
He said public comments about this project included questions about why the trail project was needed when a sidewalk already existed. Residents were concerned with the increased number of pedestrians and bicycles at Dunwoody Springs entrances after the project’s completion. They also worried about the impact to existing trees and landscaping.
“We’re putting a lot of trees back. There are some areas we could potentially look at avoiding some of the existing trees,” Johnson said.
The new path is needed because bikes cannot operate on a sidewalk, he said.
Johnson told Councilmember John Paulson that the project would not take away any parking spaces for its construction. They will investigate the possibility of installing signs warning people about potential conflicts between pedestrians and bikes with vehicles pulling in and out of entrances along the project’s length.