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Rows of bikes were parked near the Southeast Beltline from families who rolled to the official opening event together on April 16, 2026.
Credit: Amanda Andrews/GPB News
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Students, parents bike to school to celebrate Atlanta Beltline Southeast trail completion
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LISTEN: A new generation of cyclists are enjoying the newly completed Southeast Beltline this week. GPB’s Amanda Andrews has more on the community’s reaction to the official trail opening.
A new generation of cyclists are enjoying the newly completed Southeast Beltline this week. Atlanta residents and leadership gathered for the official opening ceremony on Thursday.
The ribbon-cutting started with a performance by the Maynard Jackson High School band.
Speakers at the event included Atlanta city leaders, Fulton County Commissioner Rob Pitts, and Grant Park Neighborhood Association President Robert Selby.
Atlanta City Councilmember Jason Winston represents the area surrounding the completed segment. He said the Beltline is more than a trail; it’s about upward mobility.
"The next phase of this work must be about creating and preserving affordable housing, creating economic opportunity for all," Winston said. "The true success of the Beltline will not be measured by how many miles of trail we build. It will be measured by who gets to stay, who gets the benefit."
The most enthusiastic group benefitting from the new Beltline path were elementary students — especially families participating in the nearby Parkside Elementary Bike Bus, in which parents and students bike a shared route to school each Friday.
First grader Jackson Mulkerrins said the route was hard before the trail was finished.
“Sometimes it might take a while,” he said. “We changed our path because it took a while to get up a big hill.”
But now he can ride in his favorite place.
“I really like to bike on the Beltline and also I like to bike on my street, too.”
The Atlanta Bike Bus program happens weekly at about 11 schools around the metro area.
Malcom Neave and Brooke Adams have lived in Glenwood Park for about 10 years waiting for the Beltline to be completed. Now Adams is using the path to take her son, Simon, to kindergarten.
"It's heartwarming to see all the kids on their bikes and getting confident riding in the city," she said. "And it'll bring tears to your eyes every time you see it."
The path even has benefits for people who don’t bike. Neave said the community feels more connected and less congested.
"I think that it keeps a lot of cars off the road when other people do ride their bikes," she said. "So I'm very appreciative to everyone who does commute on their bikes, especially to school. It really cuts down on the traffic."
The Beltline now has 16 miles of continuous paved trail. The city plans to get to 18 miles by mid-June in time for the World Cup.
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