Local leaders gathered Thursday for a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the newest portion of the PATH walking/biking trails system.  

Offering almost two additional miles of picturesque trails, the latest two-mile stretch from Corner Market to Johnson Park was dedicated in honor of community leader and former Conyers City Councilmember Marty Jones. Jones played an integral role in the project by working with the 4A developers, who own approximately 700 acres at the corner of Flat Shoals and Parker Roads where the trail begins.

With a large contribution from 4A, developers of Corner Market, the new section starts at the Rockdale Career Academy located at the corner of Flat Shoals and Parker Road and connects to Johnson Park. This segment joins the original Olde Town Conyers portion of the 10-foot wide, 1.7 mile trail that begins at Nancy Guinn Memorial Library and continues over the Parker Road Bridge to RCA.

"I see this as a boost not only to community development but also to economic development," Jones told the crowd gathered for the ceremony. This section of the PATH was dedicated to Jones for his outstanding 23 years of service to this community, according to 4A planners.

Plans for the path were set in motion when Corner Market was developed and an agreement was made between the PATH Foundation and 4A to expand the trail to Johnson Park. According to Conyers Chief Operating Officer David Spann, the 4A developers contributed $350,000 to the $700,000 project. The city's portion was $50,000 and the remainder was funded by the PATH Foundation, a private nonprofit that helps communities build a standardized biking/walking trail throughout metro Atlanta.

Eventually, the trail from the library to Johnson Park will be connected to the join the South River Trail and will have an extension out to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. Construction on the trail spur to the Monastery is slated to be finished at the end of the year. For more information or a map of the trails, visit Pathfoundation.org.