Gwinnett County voters could get to decide on commuter rail again

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County commissioners have approved a transit plan --including heavy rail -- that could now go to voters in a November referendum.

A similar transit vote failed in early 2019, and since then the county commission has debated if heavy rail should be included in any transportation expansion.

County chairwoman Charlotte Nash has led the charge against heavy rail trains, saying that they could be added to a transit plan later, but on Tuesday she voted for them.

“I have been my own best debate opponent associated with this topic because I can argue both sides. It’s a big decision,” Nash said.

Commissioners decided with a 3-to-1 vote to finalize a $12 billion transit package, Channel 2 Gwinnett County bureau chief Tony Thomas reported. Commissioner Marlene Fosque was the lone vote in opposition and Commissioner Tommy Hunter was absent.

“With the vote that I have, I’m just going to call it the ‘I heard you’ vote. Many people asked for changes and that’s one of the changes, the deferred rail option plan would do,” Fosque said.

A special election in March 2019 saw a similar plan fail. Residents voted against the expansion of MARTA, including rail, with 54% of voters voting “no.” That plan would have had MARTA taking over the Gwinnett transportation system and add a penny sales tax.

This new plan includes building tracks for heavy rail line, like MARTA trains, from the Doraville MARTA station to a new facility near Jimmy Carter Boulevard. It would cost about $1.3 billion for just heavy rail. Other items in the plan include additional local bus routes, pedestrian and bike improvements and new rapid bus routes.

Two options include keeping transit under county control or handing it over to MARTA.

There is one more vote in July that is needed to officially put the transit plan on the ballot. The Atlanta Transit Board, or “The ATL,” will make its decision on the plan next month as well.

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