Cox Gives $6M to Connect Atlanta Trails

The Silver Comet Trail is about to become part of the longest paved trail in the United States — thanks in part to a $6 million grant from the James M. Cox Foundation to support PATH’s “Mile 300” campaign.

A top campaign priority is to connect the Silver Comet Trail directly to the Atlanta Beltline and to the heart of the city at Centennial Olympic Park. With this project and other trail segments funded through the campaign, PATH will surpass its 300 th mile of trail by its 30 th anniversary in 2021, making Atlanta one of the most trail-connected cities in the U.S.

Cox Enterprises chairman, Jim Kennedy, serves as chair for the “Mile 300” campaign.

"We have supported PATH all these years because we have seen how PATH trails make Atlanta a better place for everyone to live. They improve our quality of life, encourage healthy lifestyles and get people outside connecting with each other and our city,” said Kennedy. 

In a recent AJC article, he also said he first got involved with PATH years ago, partly because he knew from experience how dangerous Atlanta roads could be for cyclists.

In its 28-year history, PATH has developed more than 280 miles of trail for commuting and recreating, which have helped Atlanta join the ranks of the top pedestrian and bike trail cities in the country.  Since PATH’s inception, the James M. Cox Foundation has been its largest private donor.

“Year-after-year, Cox has supported our efforts to make Atlanta a greener, healthier and more connected city,” said Ed McBrayer, executive director of the PATH Foundation. “We can’t do what we do without this type of unwavering support.”

The Silver Comet currently runs 94.5 miles from Anniston, Al. to Smyrna, Ga. The planned 11-mile extension will bring the Comet to a record-setting 105.2 miles long.