Statesboro has paid for the design of a multi-use trail along Little Lotts Creek. In the meantime, the walk at the heart of that plan is already open. The Creek on the Blue Mile trail is meant to follow the creek between South College Street and South Zetterower Avenue. Memorial Park sits on that creek corridor, and it is also the southern end of the Willie McTell Trail, the paved path many downtown walkers already use.
Over the past year, the creek trail went from an idea with no design money to a project with engineers under contract. It also picked up a neighbor, because the city is now designing Memorial Park itself. Statesboro's walking network is being drawn to meet at the Fair Road end of downtown, and you can get a feel for that spot this fall.
A year ago, the design money wasn't there
In October 2025, Public Works and Engineering Director Brad Deal gave City Council a candid update. Grice Connect reported that the city already had a $2.12 million Transportation Alternatives grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation. That money could only be used for construction, though, and the trail design was estimated at $1.7 million. "At this time, we don't have sufficient funds to fully fund that design contract," Deal said, adding that more grant funding "could take several months rather than being an immediate result."
The funding came through in about nine months. At its July 21, 2026 meeting, Council accepted a $1.4 million Transportation Alternatives grant for preliminary engineering. The city added a $350,000 local match from 2023 TSPLOST, so the engineering phase now has $1.75 million, according to Grice Connect's meeting coverage.
Each funding piece covers a different stage, so the figures are easier to follow side by side:
| Piece of the project | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| GDOT Transportation Alternatives grant, accepted July 2026 | $1.4 million | Preliminary engineering |
| City match from 2023 TSPLOST | $350,000 | Preliminary engineering |
| Earlier Transportation Alternatives grant, awarded 2023 | $2.12 million | Construction |
| City's estimate for the full project | About $25 million | The complete creekside promenade and linear park |
The money in hand for construction is less than a tenth of the full estimate. The same Grice report says the city may need more agreements later for right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and construction.
What the September vote actually bought
On September 1, 2026, Council unanimously approved Task Order 2A with EMC Engineering Services, Inc. The $459,895 contract covers engineering design for the Creek on the Blue Mile Multi-Use Trail and is paid for by the Transportation Alternatives grant and 2023 TSPLOST. Councilmember Tangie Johnson made the motion and Councilmember Ginny Hendley seconded it, according to the approved minutes in the city's September 15 council packet.
This is the first step of the design work. The staff memo in the September 1 packet calls it the first of several design task orders. Its scope covers a GDOT concept report, land surveying and preliminary environmental reports. The agreement sets no finish date and leaves the schedule to be agreed on later.
The city has not announced a construction year or an opening date. For now, the clearest guide to how the trail will feel is the route on paper. Deal's 2025 update described a trail on both sides of Little Lotts Creek, running from South College Street near South Main to Zetterower Avenue. It would have new bridges at South Main Street, Fair Road and Zetterower Avenue.
Memorial Park is where the plans meet
Fair Road appears in that list of bridge locations, and it ties the plans together. City work-session minutes from June 16, 2026, describe Memorial Park as lying along the creek corridor. Those minutes describe the concept as a 10-foot pedestrian walk on each side of the channel, with lighting and benches. They also say a separate $1.65 million INODIC award, first meant for amenities along the creek corridor, was moved to pay for Memorial Park's design. The promenade trail itself is not part of that design work.
As a result, two design efforts are moving along the same stretch of creek: the park design paid for by the INODIC award and the trail engineering paid for by the GDOT grant. A third project starts nearby. The city's notice on Blue Mile Streetscape Phase 2 describes a $10 million project from South Main and Fair Road to the Statesboro Regional Library. The city expects to put it out for bid in the fourth quarter of 2027, with about 24 months of construction.
The Willie McTell Trail already starts at Memorial Park. Visit Statesboro describes it as running about 1.2 miles from Memorial Park on Fair Road to Triangle Park downtown, and TrailLink lists it at 1.1 miles.
The walk that already exists
You don't have to wait for the creek trail to use this part of town. Here is a simple downtown walk on the Willie McTell Trail, which Explore Georgia describes as asphalt with downtown amenities along the way:
- Start at Memorial Park on Fair Road. This is the trail's southern end and the park the city is now designing.
- Head north toward downtown. TrailLink says the route passes through Statesboro-Bulloch County Park and runs past local businesses.
- Stop at the Downtown Dog Park at 20 E. Cherry St. The Statesboro Downtown Development Authority places it between East Cherry and East Grady streets, right on the trail, with swings, picnic tables and water stations. Visit Statesboro's dog-friendly guide describes it as 1.8 fenced acres with a separate area for small dogs.
- Finish at Triangle Park downtown. Walking back to Fair Road makes it a round trip of a little over two miles.
The section between East Grady Street and East Jones Avenue closed Monday through Thursday this spring. Grice Connect reported that the closure ran from April 13 through May 13 for creek restoration work, and the trail stayed open Friday through Sunday during that time. Visit Statesboro asks walkers to keep dogs leashed on the trails and clean up after them.
When you want more distance
The Willie McTell Trail is a short downtown walk. For a longer outing, the S&S Railroad Greenway is the county's long, straight option. Bulloch County Recreation and Parks and Visit Statesboro describe it as 2.75 miles of 12-foot-wide pavement on the old Savannah & Statesboro Railroad right-of-way. It starts at the trailhead at 591 Gentilly Road and ends where Pretoria-Rushing and Burkhalter roads meet. Along the way it passes under the 301 Bypass and Cawana Road and runs next to Railroad Bed Road. The Pretoria-Rushing trailhead has paved parking, restrooms, water fountains, benches and a picnic area, which helps if you're bringing children or a dog.
On the Georgia Southern side of town, Herty Pines Nature Preserve at 1950 Southern Dr. is listed among the university's outdoor facilities on the Statesboro campus. In 2018, Georgia Southern announced a rubberized trail extension. It linked the concrete path through the preserve, past J.I. Clements Stadium and the Softball Complex, across Eagle Creek to Tillman Road and the Blue Mile on Highway 301. That announcement is several years old, so check current campus access before planning a group walk there.
The Herty Pines path also fits the larger plan. The Boro Blue Mile Foundation describes the Blue Mile as the South Main corridor from the Georgia Southern entrance to the downtown courthouse. The campus path reaches the Blue Mile from the university end, the Willie McTell Trail runs from Fair Road toward downtown, and the creek trail is planned to cross South Main between them.
Dates on the calendar before the year ends
A few public events this fall bring people out on foot:
- Sunday, November 8, 2 to 3 p.m. The Georgia Southern Botanic Garden holds its State of the Garden address with a walk through the grounds.
- Saturday, November 21, 2026. The Statesboro 5K Turkey Trot is held at Bulloch County Courthouse Square. It welcomes walkers as well as runners, and friendly dogs on leashes are allowed.
- Saturday, December 5, 10 to 11 a.m. The Botanic Garden's Winter Wonders walk-and-talk looks at the garden in its winter season.
The Turkey Trot starts at the courthouse, at the downtown end of the Blue Mile. On a free afternoon that weekend, you can walk the Willie McTell Trail from Triangle Park to Memorial Park and see the spot where the creek trail's engineering work is starting.
Our family spends a lot of time with survey lines, easements and route maps, so a trail moving from concept report to right-of-way is the kind of project we follow closely. If you own property near Little Lotts Creek, Fair Road or the Blue Mile and want to understand how these plans relate to your land, Brown Land and Realty is glad to look at it with you. Schedule a free consultation and we'll go over what the public plans show for your tract.
