Progress continues as the trail system moves forward through the alleys in Downtown Tucker. Funded by the City of Tucker through SPLOST, segment 1a was designed by KAIZEN Collaborative with assistance from the Path Foundation. The contract to build the trail through the alleys was awarded to Hasbun Construction and the project began earlier this year. This is one of several transformational projects that builds off the Downtown Tucker street grid laid out in 1892.
The brick selected for the project matches the existing brick on Main Street and last month the City Council approved funding for thirty-one decorative streetlights to be installed in the alleys. The lights will match those on neighboring streets and line the trail project in the alleys from Lavista Road to Railroad Avenue and from Main Street to Second Street. The alleys will also include benches and bike racks.
When completed later this year the intersection of the two alleys currently under construction will become a natural gathering spot in Downtown Tucker.
Concept for the alley west of Main Street from Tucker Development Plan in 1964.
Making better use of Tucker’s alleys may seem like a novel idea, but it’s been around for a while. Converting one of the alleys into a plaza for pedestrian use was first envisioned in a 1964 development plan that was never implemented. The idea gained attention this century through the Tucker Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) in 2005. The current implementation is the result of subsequent planning efforts between the CID and the City of Tucker.
For the most up to date information on the trail network in Downtown Tucker, and throughout the City of Tucker, visit the news page at tuckerpath.org.