Gwinnett Residents Consider MARTA Rail Line Expansion

With rising gas prices and a nationwide push to go green, many residents in Gwinnett County are throwing their support behind a possible extension of MARTA's rail line into the county.

At an informational meeting held Monday at the Global Mall in Norcross, residents learned about the proposed plan and what it could mean for their bottom line. The plan calls for an extra 1-cent sales tax in the county.

MARTA General Manager and CEO Dr. Beverly A. Scott was on hand Monday evening to present information about the MARTA system and the potential benefits of rail transit in Gwinnett County.

Visual renderings of potential MARTA stations and rail technologies in Gwinnett County were also available for viewing.

Gwinnett County residents will express their views during the July 15 primary election, when they’ll be asked non-binding ballot questions about paying a one-cent sales tax for MARTA rail service in the county.

MARTA’s first train, the East Line, began operating between Avondale and Georgia State Station in June 1979. It also marked the start of MARTA’s combined bus and rail service. MARTA currently provides rail transit to Fulton and DeKalb counties.

Residents in Cobb and Gwinnett rejected a plan for MARTA to provide rail transit service to those counties.

A second informational meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville. The meeting will be held in the atrium of building B.