The Alton Park Connector Project In South Chattanooga

On the path of what will become the Alton Park Connector urban trail project in Chattanooga.(Doug Strickland / The Trust for Public Land)An urban trail project is taking shape in South Chattanooga that will link the Alton Park neighborhood with the city’s system of trails.When completed, the Alton Park Connector will stretch more than two-and-a-half miles from the Riverwalk to Clifton Hills Elementary School.It will transform an African-American neighborhood where for years residents have strived for resilience despite a blighted industrial past.At the heart of the Connector: the conversion of a former rail line into a path for walking and biking.The project will add green space, tree canopy and opportunities for outdoor recreation - relying on nature to improve the management of stormwater and the floodplain.Last year, the EPA awarded nearly 20 million dollars to the Tennessee office of the Trust for Public Land and the City of Chattanooga to develop the Connector in partnership with neighborhood residents.A few weeks ago, I spoke with Noel Durant, the Trust’s state director for Tennessee.