On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, Gwinnett County voters will be asked whether they want to fund a county-wide transportation plan using a 1% sales tax on the purchase of goods that would remain in place for 30 years.
“Our current transit system, Ride Gwinnett, doesn’t reach the entire county,” Gwinnett County’s website on the transit plan reads. “Only 11 percent of Gwinnett residents live within walking distance of current transit stops. For the first time, this plan will provide 100 percent transit coverage with new microtransit zones.”
Ride Gwinnett is currently funded by property owners through the county’s general fund, the federal government through federal funds and discretionary grants and Ride Gwinnett customers through fares. The dedicated Transit Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or Transit SPLOST, if approved by voters, would fund up to 75 transit projects throughout the county.
According to Gwinnett County’s website, “Gwinnett’s Transit Plan could enhance mobility for all residents by providing connections to healthcare, education, and more destinations. The plan could also support our local economy by drawing businesses, employers, and employees to an effective transit system.”
Proposed transit projects include:
- Microtransit expansion to provide 100% countywide coverage
- An airport ride to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- High-capacity transit systems such as bus rapid transit and bus rapid transit lite
- Enhanced and expanded county coverage by local bus
- New transit transfer facilities
- Zero-emission buses
SHARED RIDE
The proposed project list includes Shared Ride, or microtransit, which is a flexible, on-demand service available to the public that uses app-enabled trip request and fare payment functions. Local Shared Ride plans include the following zones and points of interests within those zones:
- Buford — Mall of Georgia, Lake Forest, Lake Lanier Vista, Northwest Harbor, Buford Town Center, Sagefield, Rest haven, Pebble Brook, Springfield Estates, Woodbriar East, Rock Creek Estates, Gravel Springs, Dakota Mill Creek, Buford Horizons Mobile Home Park
- Buford Mall of Georgia area — Mall of Georgia, Dakota Mill Creek, Habersham Hills, Coolray Field
- Buford—Sugar Hill—Suwanee — North Pointe, Sugar Hill Golf Club, Sugar Hill Greenway, Ascot Recreation Park, Settles Bridge Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Buford Dam
- Sugar Hill — Sugar Hill Transfer Station, Mall of Georgia, Buford Horizons Mobile Home Park, Old Suwanee Estates, Carol Crossing, The Oaks at Lanier, Hickory Hills, the bowl and Sugar hill, Sugar Ridge, Sugar Hill City Hall, North Pointe, Frontier Forest
- Suwanee — Suwanee Transit Transfer Station, Suwanee Farms, Settles Bridge, Laurel Creek, Suwanee Town Center
COUNTY RIDE
County Ride service transports passengers along routes with consistently spaced bus stops under set schedules. The following local routes would include the noted service descriptions and listed points of interest:
- C34 — Weekday and weekend service between Suwanee Transit Transfer Center and Northside Hospital Gwinnett: Suwanee Transit Transfer Station, Suwanee Town Center, Northside Hospital Gwinnett
- C35 — Weekday and weekend service between Sugarloaf Mills and Coolray Field: Mall of Georgia, Coolray Field, Suwanee Transit Transfer Center, Suwanee Town Center, Sugarloaf Mills Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall, Gwinnett Transit Center
- C42 — Weekday and weekend service between the Gwinnett Transit Center and Suwanee: Suwanee Transit Transfer Station, Suwanee Town Center, Duluth Transit Transfer Center, Downtown Duluth, Gwinnett Place Mall, Gwinnett Transfer Center
- C43 — Weekday and weekend service between the Lawrenceville Transit Transfer Center and the Mall of Georgia: Lawrenceville Transit Transfer Center, Georgia Gwinnett College, The Exchange at Gwinnett, Mall of Georgia, Coolray Field
QUICK RIDE
Quick Ride provides high-frequency service for transit riders, and the following proposed local routes include a description and points of interest:
- Q64 — Weekday and weekend high-capacity service between Sugar Hill and Gwinnett Transit Center: Suwanee Transit Transfer Center, Suwanee Town Center, Sugarloaf Mills Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall, Gwinnett Transit Center
- Q66 — Weekday and weekend high-capacity service between the Lawrenceville Transit Transfer Center and the Mall of Georgia: The Exchange at Gwinnett, Mall of Georgia, Coolray Field, Downtown Lawrenceville, Lawrenceville Transit Transfer Center, Georgia Gwinnett College
FACILITY LOCATIONS
The county is proposing 19 transit transfer facilities within Gwinnett that would include the following locations:
- Mall of Georgia at the Mall of Georgia mall complex
- Sugar Hill at Buford Drive and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
- Suwanee near Suwanee City Hall
On the Nov. 5 ballot, the transit referendum question will read: “Shall a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Gwinnett County for a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) years and for the raising of funds for transit projects?”
For more information on Ride Gwinnett and the transit referedum, click here. View current bus routes and schedules here.
FEATURED IMAGE: Courtesy of Gwinnett County.
