The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to send a list of projects from the county’s $17 billion transit expansion plan to the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority — moving the county a step closer to a referendum later this year.
Approval from the authority is a necessary step before commissioners can vote to place a penny sales tax on ballots in November 2024.
Proposed projects on the list include expanded bus routes, such as quick ride routes with traffic signal priority technology. The plan would add a bus rapid transit line from Lawrenceville through the Gas South District in Duluth to Norcross. There will also be two routes to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, said Lewis Cooksey, director of the county’s transportation department.
Also on the project list is a microtransit system that covers 100% of the county. Microtransit is an on-demand service that operates through an app, similar to an Uber or Lyft. Currently, microtransit operates in Lawrenceville and Snellville, but through the new plan, the county will be divided into about 28 microtransit zones.
The projects will be considered for approval by the transit link authority on Feb. 1.
Through the new transit plan, Gwinnett residents will have updated connections to healthcare, education and jobs, according to Cooksey.
“It also encourages economic development because large companies want to bring jobs to places that have mobility,” Cooksey said.
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