The Braves has its gay apologist explaining away their defection to Cobb, but the Atlanta BeltLine has its own gay engineer helping unlock the potential of the multi-use trail and parks to scores of people and, thankfully, hunky shirtless joggers.

That's Lee Harrop, program management officer for Atlanta BeltLine, chatting with WSB recently about why it's taking so long, and so much money, to tie the BeltLine's East Side Trail into the gorgeously renovated Historic Fourth Ward Park.

“One of the reasons we couldn't do this sooner is because just the cost associated with it,” Harrop says in the video clip above.

As in $1.3 million for land acquisition and another $1.3 million to construct the connector trail dubbed the Fourth Ward Gateway linking the park with the Beltline. Users of one can see the other, but can't quite get there easily. Yet.

But don't fret, sweaty joggers, cyclists, drag queens, gay supporters and LGBT benefactors already on the BeltLine. Harrop says to expect crews to complete the link by summer and landscape it by October.