|
About 75 excited stakeholders and citizens attended the Ribbon Cutting for the Firefly Trail Project held this past Friday, 11/3/2023. The ceremony was held in Union Point at the new pedestrian/cyclists bridge crossing that passes over North Rhodes Street. The ceremony was well attended and included many local elected officials, avid cyclists that helped spearhead the Trail Project, and many other citizens that have already been using the Trail for exercise and peaceful enjoyment.
Branded as the “Southern Segment” of the Firefly Trail, this section substantially completes the Trail from Union Point just south of N. Rhodes Street, through the city limits of Woodville, and ending at the County line at State Route 77 and Oglethorpe County. The 6.5 mile Southern Segment is the longest continuous section of the Firefly Trail that is completed to date. Ultimately, the Firefly Trail will span about 39 miles from Union Point to Athens on or fairly close to the historic corridor of the historic rail line known as the Georgia Railroad Athens Branch. In addition to the Southern Segment in Greene County that starts in Union Point and passes through Woodville, the Firefly Trail will eventually pass through the towns of Maxeys, Stephens, Crawford, Arnoldsville and Winterville on its way to Athens. Greene County was awarded $2.1million in grant funds from the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program to help fund the $3.5million construction project. Firefly Trail, Inc. raised another $220,000.00 in donations to support the project, the PATH Foundation donated $320,000.00, and the Riverview Foundation donated another $50,000.00 to help complete the section running through the City of Woodville. Union Point Mayor Lanier Rhodes welcomed everyone to the ribbon cutting and shared his excitement for the completion of the project. State Representative Trey Rhodes, who was instrumental in securing the grant funding, spoke during the ceremony to express appreciation for all the hard work that helped to complete the project. Greta deMayo with the PATH Foundation also spoke expressing continued support for the Firefly Trail Project as it continues in the future through Oglethorpe County. And Greene County District 3 Commissioner Dee Lindsey concluded the ceremony thanking his fellow commissioners for supporting the project, and all those that worked to complete the project. Greene County Chairman Gary Usry and Vice-Chairman Jeffery Smith both attended the ceremony to show their support for the project. Chairman Usry remarked how pleased he was with the cooperative efforts between the County and the cities of Union Point and Woodville, and how proud he was that this project has been completed. Usry stated that it is a “true legacy” type project given how many people will use the trail, the economic benefit the trail will provide over time, and how it was uniquely funded and constructed through wide-reaching cooperative efforts. Planning is already underway to extend the Trail about 1,500-feet further south along Carlton Ave. in Union Point to deposit directly into the downtown district of the City of Union Point. This short segment may even include the unique feature of passing through an old ground-level water tank, but regardless, the connection to the downtown district of Union Point will put the finishing touches on a remarkable project.
0 Comments
 (left-to-right): Greene County Manager Byron Lombard, Firefly Trail Development Coordinator John Kissane, FTI Board Member Lisa Baynes, Woodville Mayor Phil Brock, and Greene County Commission Chair Gary Usry. Firefly Trail Inc., recently presented a $200,000 check to Woodville Mayor Phil Brock and Greene County leaders to assist with the city’s portion of local matching funds required to build the trail through Woodville.
The funds make it possible for Woodville and Greene County to complete a vital 2.6-mile section of the trail, combining new construction with portions of the existing sidewalk and Elm Street. The section is a key connection linking two other segments of trail, which Greene County has nearly completed, south and north of Woodville from Union Point’s northern city limits to the Greene County/Oglethorpe County line. When construction is completed later this summer, Greene County, Woodville and Union Point together will host a 6.5-mile section of the Firefly Trail, the longest continuous section completed to date. Ultimately, the Firefly Trail will span about 39 miles from Union Point to Athens on or fairly close to the historic corridor of the Georgia Railroad Athens Branch. “The City Council of Woodville and I would like to thank Firefly Trail Incorporated for the generous donation,” said Woodville Mayor Phil Brock. “We have a small community with no taxes, and completion of the trail would have been years away without this donation.” Greene County Manager Byron Lombard echoed Brock’s appreciative comments. “Greene County is very grateful for the partnership of Firefly Trail Inc. in the planning, development, and construction of the Firefly Trail Project,” Lombard noted. “Their commitment has been instrumental in this project, and their financial support is making the difference for completion of the project inside the city limits of Woodville.” The project is being built using a $2.1 million grant from the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP). As part of that grant, communities are required to provide a local match equal to 25% of the total project cost. “The input of GOSP funds is absolutely critical to – and a real God-send for – the Firefly Trail and other natural resources projects around the state,” said Firefly Trail Inc. President Mark Ralston. “We extend our deepest thanks to Rep. Trey Rhodes and the Georgia Legislature for making it possible.” Ralston noted that the 25 percent local match requirement is “a tremendous hurdle for small towns and rural communities. FTI is thrilled that we were able to make such a substantial contribution to Woodville so that the project can be completed.” The donation from Firefly Trail Inc. (FTI) was made possible primarily by support from Chattanooga-based Riverview Foundation. Additional support came from hundreds of individual donations to FTI as well as corporate sponsorships such as those from Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and Athens Physical Therapy. Also funded by the GOSP grant is clearing and grading for an extension of the existing trail in Maxeys and, in conjunction with a major donation from the PATH Foundation, installation of a bridge over North Rhodes Street in Union Point. Media contact: John Kissane, (706) 254-5474 or [email protected]  All friends and supporters of the Firefly Trail are strongly encouraged to gather along the trail near the Dudley Park pavilion area this Thursday afternoon (April 20), to participate in the dedication of the new Firefly Bridge over Trail Creek. Planned and hosted by Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services, pre-event festivities will begin at 3:30 p.m. with the ribbon-cutting set for 4:00 p.m. Attendees are invited to participate in the first crossing of the new 525-foot bridge and partake of refreshments among assembled ACC Commissioners, Mayor Kelly Girtz, and ACC staff, as well as FTI Board Members and other dignitaries.
Nearby parking prior to 4:00 p.m. will be limited to designated Greenway spaces at the Cook & Brothers Plaza off East Broad Street, the Poplar Street/Greenway lot behind We look forward to seeing everyone and celebrating this long-awaited accomplishment! The new bridge is beautiful!!! https://www.accgov.com/firefly The mass start for Athens has been moved to 10 a.m.!
Bad news: the weather forecast for 9 a.m. tomorrow looks pretty stormy. Good news: The weather forecast for 10 a.m. looks much better. So if you don’t want to start riding at 9, all three of our registration sites will stay open until 10. Please note that we still have to end on-road SAG support at 4:30, so SAG support in Union Point and Athens will end at 1:30 to make sure long-distance riders have time to finish. SAG stops in Maxeys, Crawford and Winterville will close around 3:30 or 4. Please shorten your ride as needed. We look forward to seeing you!  With the Firefly Trail/Athens Physical Therapy Ticket to Ride just days away, we want to thank our awesome Conductor-level sponsors for their help advancing the trail and making this ride great: Allergy Partners of Georgia, American Pest Control, Athens Orthopedic Clinic, Atlas Spine and Balance, Bass Landscaping Care, Barberitos, Jittery Joe’s Coffee, Mama’s Boy, and Thompson Construction. Y’all are awesome!
 Saturday is the big day! We want to give a big shout-out to the in-kind sponsors who are making this year’s Ticket to Ride an A+ event. Huge thanks to Creature Comforts Brewing Co., First Baptist Church of Athens, Oconee Brewing Co., and Athletic Brewing Co. And a second shout-out to Georgia Cycle Sport and The Hub for their ride-day support!
Ticket is Ride is our biggest event of the year. We need you to help make it happen. Volunteer shifts are short, easy, and fun. If you have an hour or two to spare on Saturday March 25th, please CLICK HERE to signup for a volunteer spot. Thanks!
 We are thrilled to announce that Bass Landscaping Care has signed on as a first-time sponsor of the Ticket to Ride at the Mechanic level. Welcome – and thank you! Bass Landscaping provides green care services in the Athens area, including lawn maintenance, landscapes and hardscapes, and irrigation.
 We are very thankful that First American Bank and Trust is once again sponsoring the Ticket to Ride at the Mechanic level. FABT is a financial institution focused on offering personalized products and services that are tailored to serve their customers’ needs.
|
The Firefly Trail is a community-driven rail-trail in progress. When complete, it will stretch about 39 miles between Union Point and Athens, Ga., connecting three counties and seven towns with a wide, paved, off-road path for walking, running, cycling and rolling. This trail celebrates the historic corridor of the Georgia Railroad Athens Branch, the state’s first chartered railroad.
Route Map
(*DRAFT ONLY*) Local governments will determine the final route. 
INstagram | FBBlog Archives
March 2025
GIVE TO FIREFLY VIA KROGERBe sure to update your Kroger Plus to designate Firefly Trail, Inc. (Organization #BJ882) as your preferred community partner!
|
