Suburban Atlanta County to Bring Transit Plan Back to Voters

After residents rejected transit expansion proposals in 2019 and 2020, local officials went back to the drawing board, removing heavy rail plans and focusing on microtransit and local buses.

1 minute read

October 5, 2023, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Red Gwinnett County bus near Atlanta, Georgia.

Andriy Blokhin / Adobe Stock

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.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Looking out at trees on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism

After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

April 23 - Torched

White and blue Sacramento regional transit bus with one bike on front bike rack.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras

The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

April 23 - Streetsblog California

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

April 23 - Next City