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.”
The Connect Gwinnett team briefed the commissioners last month on the final recommendations, stressing sustainability, stewardship and service quality for Gwinnett County Transit. The comprehensive plan aims to balance transit needs with budget constraints.
To better connect the County to desired regional destinations, as well as to provide enhanced connectivity within Gwinnett, the Connect Gwinnett team completed an extensive technical analysis that used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The planning effort used technology-demand matching to compare travel patterns and expected population and employment densities with potential transit modes. By identifying key destinations and routes, the group then identified options to get the public where they need to go.
House Bill 930 in the Georgia Legislature also gave the planning effort a boost: Signed into law by Gov. Nathan Deal in May, the regional transit governance and funding measure provides additional opportunities for a transit sales tax and state contributions.
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.
