Maybe. The Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved the Connect Gwinnett Transit Plan, and that’s step one.
The Connect Gwinnett plan creates a framework for the County’s short-, mid-, and long-range transit future.
Since the spring of 2017, the Connect Gwinnett effort has documented current conditions and conducted a needs assessment for the County’s transit future. The public was involved in each phase of the process, from public forums to stakeholder meetings to community events to online and phone survey efforts.
“We are very grateful to the public for their input throughout this process,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlotte Nash. “This plan will serve many needs across the County by improving mobility, along with providing congestion relief and transportation choices.”
Connect Gwinnett includes project and policy recommendations focused on advancing transit in Gwinnett County.
County Commissioners will now decide – likely by August — whether to put a referendum on transit expansion before voters this November. The project team estimated that approximately $5.4B (2018$) can be raised through a 30-year 1 percent sales tax to fund recommended projects.
Projects identified in the plan range from high capacity transit (heavy rail extension, bus rapid transit [BRT] and rapid bus corridors, to a potential BRT to light rail transit conversion) to commuter services (express commuter bus and vanpool) to local bus and flex/on-demand service to paratransit for those with mobility challenges.
Currently, Gwinnett County Transit has six local routes and five express routes. Connect Gwinnett identifies enhancements to be put in place within five years (short-range), up to 10 years (mid-range), up to 30 years (long-range phase 1), and beyond 30 years (long-range phase 2).
More information on the comprehensive transit development plan, including a copy of the plan, is available online at www.ConnectGwinnettTransit.com.
