BRACK: Proposed Gwinnett Transit plan has 5 major components

By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum

MARCH 8, 2019  | It’s apparent that a tremendous amount of work has gone into crafting the complex, comprehensive and far reaching transit plan that Gwinnett votes on March 19.

Most Gwinnettians can’t spend an hour on the phone with Alan Chapman, Gwinnett County director of transportation, and Karen Winger, in charge of the transit division.

If they did, they would learn that the upcoming referendum on future transit possibilities for Gwinnett is vastly more multifaceted and extensive than ever I imagined. It shows that the county and area officials have put major time in making this proposal, which should work wonders for the movement of people in Gwinnett far into the future.

Chapman

First of all, it’s much more than a tie-in with Atlanta’s MARTA system.  The plan has five major components for Gwinnett that are being proposed. They include:

1. The Multi-Modal heavy rail connection with MARTA near Jimmy Carter Boulevard, at least 10 years out, if not 15.
2. Bus Rapid Transit, a new concept and relatively inexpensive method to move people much more rapidly, through dedicated lanes with special signals to get through crowded intersections without stopping. There would be 50 dedicated miles of this service along three routes. It will start in 5-10 years.
3. Rapid Bus service, along dedicated routes, is not as complicated as Bus Rapid Transit, and is faster than ordinary buses.  There would be eight routes along 110 miles for this service. This will start as a local bus, within two years.
4. Expansion of local bus commuter service will be the first major change. This will be the first big change in transit to come into play. It will have increased frequencies of route throughout the area, including Hamilton Mill and Loganville areas.
5. On demand Microtransit Flex Service will expand to six zones. The pilot program has already begun in Snellville and will continue, and the next area to get this service will be Buford, followed by four more areas.

Whew! You can see from this short overview that the proposed improvements are extensive and detailed.  Oodles of hard planning has already been done, with the overall plan just waiting for an okay from the votes.

Let’s look more at one of these elements, the Bus Rapid Transit proposal. These long buses (for up to 80 to 90 people) would run on three routes with dedicated lanes.:

1. Along Satellite Boulevard south from the Sugarloaf Mills area to initially the Doraville MARTA. Long term, the route would terminate at the Jimmy Carter MARTA station.
2. From Snellville adjacent to U.S. Highway 78 to the Indian Creek MARTA station (requiring a partnership with DeKalb County.)
3. From Lawrenceville to the Infinite Energy Center and on to Peachtree Corners.

Altogether, the Bus Rapid Transit routes cover 50 miles, and will require additional right-of-way and road widening.

Here’s how it would work. Each of the buses would send signals as it approached major cross streets, signaling the traffic lights to switch, to allow the bus to continue through while stopping cross traffic. This will make the trip faster than normal traffic on these streets.  Meanwhile, passengers will have the luxury of time to use the wi-fi, or read, but not have to drive this route, so more cars will be off the roadways. Payment for ticketing will be as the rider enters the transit station. Buses would run on demand, perhaps every 10 to 15 minutes during peak times.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE: more about the plan and its Arterial Rapid Transit routes, something of a Light Bus Rapid Transit system.

• Have a comment?  Send to: elliott@brack.net