Feasibility Study Approved For AlphaLoop Trail Connectivity

ALPHARETTA, GA — Progress is being made on the AlphaLoop which the city plans to connect people to activity centers, parks, and jobs by a network of multi-use trails that provides safe alternatives to driving and offers recreational benefit, the City of Alpharetta said.

The city approved a connectivity feasibility study at a Nov. 11 council meeting for the North Point Area and Alpha Loop Trail.

Senior Planner Michael Woodman said the recent update to the North Point Livable Centers Initiative identifies green space/trail connectivity as an area-wide initiative to enhance development and reinvestment into the North Point area through the creation of a system of connected multi-use trails and greenspaces. In accordance with this initiative, the mayor and city council authorized staff to apply to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative Program in March seeking grant funding for a North Point Area and Alpha Loop Trail Connectivity Feasibility Study. The Atlanta Regional Commission awarded the city $120,000 to complete the Feasibility Study, with the city committed to a 20 percent match in the amount of $30,000, with a total funding of $150,000.

"The Feasibility Study will develop a scoping concept plan for a multi-use path connecting the Alpha Loop to the Big Creek Greenway, North Point Mall, and across Haynes Bridge Road," Woodman said. "The plan will include an alignment, typical section, environmental impacts, and cost estimates for constructing the multi-use path and crossing Haynes Bridge road to connect into another segment of the Alpha Loop.

The city awarded the study to MKSK, with Principal-in-Charge Darren Meyer presenting to the city council about the project.

"As the Alpha Loop continues to take shape in the heart of Alpharetta, it is poised to provide significant economic and community benefit to the city and region," Meyer said. "This signature pedestrian and bicycle trail is already proving to be a catalyst for economic development, a signature quality-of-life amenity, and a step towards transportation equity –accommodating universal modes of transportation (walking and biking) while reducing reliance on the automobile."

The value of this trail system is significant for internal trips within Alpharetta, i.e., linking Avalon with Downtown Alpharetta, Meyer said, but also has tremendous potential benefit for its ability to enhance regional connectivity.

"By providing links to existing regional trail systems such as the Big Creek Greenway, future trails such as Path400, and planned transit services (MARTA BRT), the Alpha Loop gives the Alpharetta community the opportunity to strengthen its connectivity and access to the wider metro area, which is critical for long-term economic stability," he said.

While the benefits of the Alpha Loop are significant, the challenges of routing a public trail system through a highly-developed area are complex, Meyer said.

"Trail planning, like all thoroughfare planning, involves a wide range of stakeholders, complex real estate strategies, transportation mode conflicts, environmental obstacles (and opportunities), and engineering challenges," he said. "The successful implementation of the Alpha Loop extension will require a highly creative approach to several unique conditions: the Haynes Bridge Road crossing, the routing along GDOT right-of-way between Haynes Bridge and Encore Parkway, the connection to North Point Mall and future BRT, and the crossing of North Point Parkway to connect with the Big Creek Greenway."

To tackle these unique challenges, Meyer said MKSK has partnered with Toole Design Group, a firm with whom they have successfully collaborated on multiple projects throughout the country.

MKSK is a collective of 95 planners, urban designers, and landscape architects, founded in 1990. The MKSK/Toole Team pairs the industry-leading expertise of Toole in trail and active transportation planning with the nationally-recognized urban design and placemaking experience of MKSK, Meyer said. This team also pairs Toole’s experience in the greater Atlanta metro with partners such as ARC, MARTA, and GDOT with MKSK’s recent experience in Alpharetta developing the North Point Placemaking Plan.