Suburban Atlanta County to Bring Transit Plan Back to Voters

Georgia’s Gwinnett County is asking its voters to approve an ambitious $17 billion Transit Development Plan that would expand on-demand transit and bus service and create a new 26-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line.

According to an article by Jared Brey in Governing, the plan would be funded via a one-cent sales tax increase. Brey points out that “It’s a proposal with a lot of uncertainty, given that county voters rejected a similar tax in both 2019 and 2020, and voted against transit expansions in the 1990s and the 1970s.” 

However, the new plan focuses on improving mobility within the county, rather than making connections to the city of Atlanta, which many in the county have long opposed. Brey explains that “residents made it clear they don’t want to be part of MARTA, and the new plan favors countywide microtransit service along with lower-cost bus rapid transit, instead of rail.”

County officials say the microtransit expansion would benefit all residents, even those who don’t use transit, by reducing congestion on local roads. A referendum has not been scheduled, but could be on the ballot next November.