Atlanta Things To Do category interest

A project that aims to upgrade the infrastructure of Atlanta’s Westside has received a big boost in funding.

The Upper Westside Community Improvement District, in collaboration with the City of Atlanta and U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff and Congresswoman Nikema Williams, have received funding for Westside Thrive.

The $22.9 million project is designed to bring infrastructure upgrades to historically underserved communities on Atlanta’s Westside, including enhancing transit stops and building pedestrian and biking trails between Westside Park and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The initiative is funded by a $16 million RAISE grant alongside a $6.9 million local match from the City of Atlanta’s Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure program.

The funding will go toward the design and construction of walking and biking paths, better bus stops with seating and shade, stormwater management and pedestrian-scale lighting along Johnson Road, West Marietta Street, Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, Brady Avenue and 10th Street, according to an announcement.

“Westside Thrive will safely and equitably connect residents in underserved communities on Atlanta’s Westside through multimodal improvements to nearby business districts, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta BeltLine trail and Westside Park,” said Upper Westside CID Executive Director Elizabeth Hollister. “With the support of the City of Atlanta and Councilmembers Byron Amos and Dustin Hillis, we are addressing over a century of transportation neglect, connecting residents to major employment hubs, educational institutions and recreational areas.”

The RAISE grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, aimed at investment in road, rail, transit, port, connectivity and multimodal projects.

Construction on the Westside Thrive project, formerly referred to as Westside Park Multimodal Access, is expected to begin in 2027.

The before-and-after images below show renderings of the types of improvements that are envisioned.