New BeltLine trail draws crowds - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

Since a new rail trail opened last month in Atlanta, it has drawn crowds of joggers, dog-walkers and cyclists to take in spectacular views of the skyline and neighborhoods once seen only by train.

Hundreds of trees have been planted along the paved 14-foot-wide path, while artists have added works such as windmills made of bicycle parts and "Fantasia"-like murals on the underbellies of concrete bridges.

The path, known as the Eastside Trail, is part of a $2.8 billion plan to transform a 22-mile railroad corridor that encircles Atlanta into a network of trails, parks, affordable homes and ultimately streetcar lines.

Advocates say the BeltLine has great promise for a city that was founded as a railroad crossroads before the Civil War and later became a poster child for suburban sprawl and highway gridlock.

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