East Atlanta: The BeltLine Link is Finally Here, Plus Big Moves on Moreland

Happy Sunday, East Atlanta — we have finally reached the finish line for the Southeast Trail segment, making the Eastside more connected than ever. With record-shattering April heat moving in this week, those shaded patios in East Atlanta Village are looking more appealing than ever. We're also tracking an overhaul of our most notorious highway bottleneck and a long-awaited second act for a historic neighborhood landmark.

- News — The long-awaited Southeast Trail segment finally connects our neighborhoods with a seamless path, and MARTA's new Rapid A-Line launches April 18 to link downtown to the BeltLine corridor.
- Business — A new vegan ice cream trailer is launching just in time for patio season.
- Events — From the official BeltLine ribbon-cutting to the return of the magical "illumine" light series at Oakland Cemetery, your social calendar is looking packed this week — including SweetWater 420 Fest and the upcoming Inman Park Festival.
- Government — Local officials are weighing a massive $1.36 billion jail bond and a proposed city-wide ban on new self-storage facilities near the BeltLine corridor.
- Construction — A high-visibility demolition on Moreland and significant safety upgrades on Memorial Drive are set to shake up our local traffic patterns.

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Let’s dive in.

NEWS

Final segment of Beltline's Southeast Trail to open next week
The wait is finally over for those of us tired of staring at construction fences while trying to navigate the Southside. This final paved segment officially links Glenwood Park down through the edge of Grant Park and Ormewood Park, turning what was once a gravel obstacle course into a seamless path for your morning commute or weekend stroll.

Unjamming Atlanta's Outdated I-285/I-20 East Interchange
If you've ever lost twenty minutes of your life at this interchange during rush hour, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Engineers are overhauling this notorious bottleneck, focusing on modernizing the ramps and bridges that have been failing to handle East Atlanta's growth for decades.

New MARTA bus rapid transit to connect downtown Atlanta to BeltLine
MARTA's new Rapid A-Line launches April 18, connecting downtown Atlanta to the BeltLine corridor with high-frequency bus service using dedicated lanes and traffic signal priority. It's a significant step for residents in Capitol Gateway and Grant Park who have been asking for more public transit options.

Reporter's Notebook: Neill Herring honored, Grant Park outdoor classroom, last call for the Atlanta Fair
Local legend and environmental lobbyist Neill Herring received a well-deserved salute this week, but the neighborhood focus is on the steady progress of the Grant Park outdoor classroom. It is a win for local families and a reminder that even in a city of concrete, our park's educational footprint is actually expanding.

BUSINESS

CocoLuxe Ice Cream & Sweets - opening - A new vegan dessert trailer is launching its mobile operations this week, bringing dairy-free scoops and artisanal treats to local parks and pop-up markets just as the spring weather hits its stride.

EVENTS

It's a big week for the Eastside as the long-awaited Southside Trail segments 4 and 5 officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. Between the return of the "illumine" light series at Oakland Cemetery and the debut of the Grant Park Market in the Park for Earth Day weekend, there are plenty of reasons to get out and explore the neighborhood. SweetWater 420 Fest is also drawing crowds to Shirley Clarke Franklin Park, and the Inman Park Festival is just around the corner on April 25–26.

Monday, April 13
- Monday Night Board Games | Manuels
- The Surfrajettes | The Earl

Tuesday, April 14
- Sheer Mag | The Earl
- CNIA Monthly Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association

Wednesday, April 15
- Spring HomeSchool Academy at Zoo Atlanta (K-12) | Zoo Atlanta
- Historic Preservation Land Use (HPLU) Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Hippie Sabotage | The Eastern
- ADULT. | The Earl

Thursday, April 16
- Adventure Cubs at the Zoo | Zoo Atlanta
- Southside Trail - Segments 4 & 5 Ribbon-Cutting | Southside Trail
- illumine 2026 | Oakland Cemetery
- The Belair Lip Bombs | The Earl
- Charles Wesley Godwin | The Eastern
- Kona & Meredith Parks | 529 EAV

Friday, April 17
- Acid Bath | The Eastern
- School and Group NightCrawler Overnight | Zoo Atlanta
- New Neighbor Party | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Couch Dog | The Earl

Saturday, April 18
- SweetWater 420 Fest | Shirley Clarke Franklin Park
- Keeper for a Day: Elephants | Zoo Atlanta
- Parks Gardening & Transit Wylie Install | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- The Thing | The Earl
- Belushi Speedball | 529 EAV
- The Midnight: Time Machines | The Eastern
- KJ and the FunkMaysons | Southern Feedstore

Sunday, April 19
- SweetWater 420 Fest | Shirley Clarke Franklin Park
- Mornings at the Zoo | Zoo Atlanta
- Market in the Park Debuts in Grant Park Earth Day Weekend | Grant Park
- Legacy Community Day and Earth Day Festival | Legacy Park
- American Theory & Joythief & Spiritless GA | 529 EAV
- Los Parras | The Eastern
- Holy Fuck | The Earl

Coming Up: April 25–26
- Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes | Inman Park

GOVERNMENT

Note: it’s an unusually quiet week as many governing bodies take spring break; if you’re new here, you can see what this section usually looks like in prior issues

Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners, April 14, 2026 at 9:00 AM. Commissioners will consider a $16.2 million police fleet overhaul and new regulations to crack down on short-term rental "party houses" through a new monitoring platform. The agenda also includes a rebate program for electric leaf blowers and a petition to move homes on Forrest Road from septic to the county sewer system.
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole, April 14, 2026 at 9:00 AM.
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners, April 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM. The board will consider issuing $1.36 billion in bonds for major jail renovations and additions, as well as funding for the 120-unit North & Oliver affordable housing complex in English Avenue. Other items include the purchase of high-speed absentee ballot scanners and expanded senior programming at 4001 Danforth Street.
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-W, April 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM. This meeting features proposals for a month-long World Cup festival in Grant Park and a city-wide ban on new self-storage facilities within the Beltline Overlay District. Significant local items include a request to drastically reduce parking at 668 McDonough Blvd and a new restaurant application for 381 Moreland Ave SE

CONSTRUCTION

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Permits
- 450 Moreland Ave SE — Commercial demolition permit filed. A commercial building near the EAV/Ormewood Park line is slated for the wrecking ball. This is a high-visibility spot on the corridor; keep an eye out for what's planned to take its place.
- 1060 Memorial Dr SE — Building conversion from "Assembly" to "Retail" is under review. This shift suggests a new shop is coming to the increasingly dense Memorial Drive stretch, moving the space away from its former life as a gathering or event hall.
- 1039 Grant St SE — HVAC overhaul and system rework filed for this commercial space. Essential infrastructure work for this industrial-turned-creative hub in Grant Park.
- 390 Stovall St SE — Multiple HVAC system replacements are underway at The Stacks. Expect a few service cranes or work trucks around the historic Cabbagetown mill complex.
- East Atlanta & Ormewood Park — 9 residential additions and several "Multi-Family New" permits are moving through the system. Between the new housing density and 12 permits for hazardous tree removal, the neighborhood's spring construction season is officially in high gear.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Crews are upgrading the highway lighting system to energy-efficient LEDs. This work involves replacing poles and conduit along the corridor, so keep an eye out for potential nighttime shoulder or lane closures between Grant Park and East Atlanta.
- SR 42/US 23 (Moreland Ave) at Memorial Drive & Arkwright Place (Fulton County) — Significant intersection improvements are underway to boost safety. This project is converting the Moreland and Arkwright intersection into a right-in/right-out (RIRO) only setup, meaning a new median will block all left-turn movements at this spot.
- SR 154 (Memorial Drive) from Hill Street to Pearl Street (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Active safety upgrades are happening along this busy stretch of Memorial. Work includes the installation of a new mid-block pedestrian crossing and a Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) to help manage traffic and protect people crossing on foot.
- SR 260 (Glenwood Ave) at Brownwood, Joseph, Haas, and Eastside Avenues (DeKalb County) — Pedestrian safety is the focus here as crews install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at multiple intersections. These high-visibility flashing lights will make it easier for neighbors to cross Glenwood near the village.
- SR 42 (Moreland Ave) between Faith Ave and Custer Ave (Fulton & Clayton Counties) — Work is progressing on the installation of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons at several locations south of the EAV core. Expect occasional roadside work as crews install these signalized crossings to improve safety on this high-speed corridor.

Pre-Construction
- BeltLine Southside Trail Segment 6 (Bill Kennedy Way) — Development of a shared-use path along SR-154 Conn between Glenwood Avenue and Woodward Avenue. The project includes a new trail bridge over I-20, providing a dedicated pedestrian and bike link between Glenwood Park and Ormewood Park.
- SR-42 at United Ave & Skyhaven Road — Realignment of the intersection to bring Skyhaven Road in line with United Avenue. This project will also add new left-turn lanes on both northbound and southbound approaches to improve traffic flow and safety at this busy junction.
- Atlanta Traffic Signal Enhancements Phase II (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Extensive upgrades to signal equipment and communications (4G/Fiber) to optimize signal timing. The work includes pavement marking improvements and ADA ramp upgrades at various intersections throughout the area.
- SR-154/Memorial Drive Corridor Improvements — Pedestrian and capacity improvements between Connally Street and Grant Street. This includes expanding and repairing sidewalks to meet ADA standards and adding auxiliary lanes to manage congestion near the Capitol Gateway area.
- SR-42/US-23 Moreland Ave (DeKalb County) — A scoping-only project focusing on the stretch between DeKalb Avenue and Austin Avenue. The plan intends to narrow travel lanes to 10 feet to improve safety and manage speeds near the Reynoldstown and Inman Park borders.
- I-75 Bridge Preservation — Maintenance at four locations in Fulton County, including bridge painting, joint replacement, and vegetation removal. While primarily upkeep, expect off-peak lane shifts once work moves to the field.
- I-20 & I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector Study — A scoping project to study a 5.46-mile section of the I-20 and the Downtown Connector. This is an early-stage evaluation of the state's busiest interchange aimed at long-term traffic solutions.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Reported at Hill St & Milledge Ave, McPherson Ave SE & Flat Shoals Ave SE, Moreland Ave NE, Blvd SE, and Lamon Ave SE.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Emergency and routine maintenance issues at Cherokee Ave & Georgia Ave.
- Right of Way Maintenance — Visibility issues and overgrowth flagged at the intersection of Rosalia St & Blvd.