This week, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved a measure to enter into a contract with MARTA to expand transportation services in the county, an act that was unthinkable even a few short years ago.
Opposition to MARTA in the formerly reliable has long been the norm. However, in a year which has also seen Republicans under the Gold Dome come to the table on transit, it is another example of an exciting trend of both parties coming together and looking to the future when it comes to transportation infrastructure. Traffic in Gwinnett is not getting any better and there are only so many lanes which can fit on a road.
That contract was one of two measures approved by the city council yesterday. The second measure will place a referendum on the ballot so that voters may decide on a one penny sales tax to fund the transit expansion. The referendum is scheduled to take place on March 19, 2019, a move which has drawn opposition from some Democrats.
It is of the utmost importance that voters pass this referendum and bring new transit solutions to Gwinnett. The county is expected to undergo massive population growth over the next 22 years, which would lead to congestion the likes of which Gwinnett citizens could not even imagine. If they think things are bad now, just wait until the county has a population of 1.5 million.
We cannot continue our reliance on cars if we want metro Atlanta to be a world-class place to live and work in the coming years. For our region to remain competitive, we must implement an expansive transit strategy which leads directly through Gwinnett County. It is time to let the past be the past and bring Gwinnett into the MARTA fold.
