The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners have approved the $17 billion Transit Development Plan, (TDP) in anticipation of the county’s recent spike in population and economic growth.
The plan was developed over an 18-month period from 2022 to 2023 using the community’s feedback as the catalyst for its recommendations. The TDP evaluated changing transportation demands, considered significant population growth, and aligned transit services and infrastructure investments with the county’s identified priorities and needs.
Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson says: “This transformative plan benefits everyone by improving and expanding multimodal transportation services countywide,” said. It charts an intentional path forward while paving the way for a more prosperous future, providing convenient transit alternatives for our residents and reducing congestion on our roads.”
The new plan encompasses a comprehensive network that covers 100 percent of Gwinnett County with shared ride services. The plan also comprises a multi-faceted approach that includes the introduction of Local Ride, Quick Ride, Rapid Ride and Airport Ride networks to connect areas seamlessly within the county and to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Gwinnett DOT Director Lewis Cooksey says: “By embracing innovative ways to reimagine our local transit service and enhance connectivity to the greater Atlanta region, the adopted TDP creates a clear road ahead for a more efficient, accessible, reliable and environmentally friendly transportation option in Gwinnett County. This TDP puts the focus on providing mobility for all by thoughtfully leveraging the best transit modes to adequately meet the varying needs of each of our communities.”
Some of the recommendations outlined in the TDP include:
- Expanding Ride Gwinnett to seven days a week.
- Adding high-capacity transit along the County’s busiest corridors.
- Building out 500 miles of convenient and frequent fixed routes.
Annandale surpasses $6 million capital campaign
Annandale Village of Suwanee says that its ambitious Campaign Annandale capital campaign, which will revitalize and build a new Program Center on campus, has not only achieved but surpassed its $6 million goal.
Annandale Village President and CEO Adam Pomeranz says: “Because of their generosity, the Villagers will have a brand new, state-of-the-art Program Center where they can pursue their independence and realize their life goals.”
Annandale Village is the only nonprofit in the southeast providing a full continuum of care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries. From independent and semi-independent housing through assisted living and skilled nursing care, Annandale offers hope and independence to the amazing individuals who make up our community.
The original fundraising goal for the new Program Center was $5 million which would have been sufficient to complete the project at the time; however, due to record inflation and rising material and labor costs, the total project cost climbed to $7 million. Therefore, Annandale Village increased its fundraising goal to $6 million with plans to finance the remaining balance. Due to the excitement Campaign Annandale has generated, Annandale Village is still receiving donations above the $6 million goal to reduce the amount that must be borrowed as construction begins.
Housing Corporation gets $2.3 million for rehabilitation
Gwinnett Housing Corporation has been awarded grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to support two home rehabilitation and repair programs over the next three years. Applications for the program are now open. The grant award for older adults is $1,000,000 and the grant award for healthy homes is $1,300,000.
The Healthy Homes Program provides free Healthy Home Assessments, home hazard testing, and home repairs for eligible Gwinnett County homeowners and renters who have home health or safety hazards. Eligible clients must live in eligible Gwinnett County census tracts, and the household income must be at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
The program strives to create healthier homes for low-to-moderate-income Gwinnett County renters and homeowners through addressing home hazards. Qualified applicants may be eligible for a free home assessment, hazard testing, and hazard repairs. The Healthy Homes Program address hazards such as:
- Pest infestations
- Radon
- Asbestos
- Mold
- Lead-based paint
- Painting
- Rehab
- Painting
- Weatherization
- Landscaping
- Plumbing
- HVAC Repair
- Windows, roofing, siding, systems
- Installation of smoke detectors
- Installation of carbon monoxide detector
Mercer Law School, oldest in the South, marks 150 years
Mercer University’s Law School over its 150-year history has made an indelible mark on Georgia and legal education. It was one of the first law schools to be established in the South — just two years after Mercer University moved to Macon from Penfield in 1871.
Today, there are Mercer Law alumni in all 50 states and many other countries around the globe. Virtually every town and city in Georgia has a Mercer attorney or judge, manifesting the school’s 150-year reputation of preparing practice-ready lawyers, community leaders and public servants.
The Law School started with seven students and the three part-time professors who had won approval from Mercer’s trustees to start a law school. The founders and early faculty were models of lawyers’ involvement and leadership in the larger community.
Today that focus on skillful legal practice has taken Mercer to the 2023 national championship in moot court (appellate advocacy) and a narrow loss to UCLA in the 2023 national trial competition. Overall, Mercer is ranked fourth in the nation in National Trial Advocacy, behind UCLA but still ahead of Harvard.
Dean Karen J. Sneddon as she prepared for the school’s celebration of 150 years on October 13, says: “For 150 years the Law School has really focused on preparing students for practice and has not lost sight of that, even as we have grown and changed.”
Gwinnett Tech hits record enrollment at 9,800
Gwinnett Technical College has recorded the highest enrollment numbers in the College’s 39-year history. More than 9,800 students across the region are drawn to the classrooms at Gwinnett Tech for exciting educational programs and career opportunities.
The 2023 Fall semester has recorded a 16 percent boost in enrollment over a year ago. These numbers do not include the later fall mini-mester (term C) enrollment figures expected in early November. This past spring, the College saw a 9% jump in enrollment over the previous spring.
Dr. D. Glen Cannon, President of Gwinnett Tech, attributes this surge in enrollment to a few key factors:
- Opening the new Computer Information Systems, Cybersecurity, and Emerging Technologies Building and the renovation of Building A/100.
- A dramatic increase in students transferring to Gwinnett Tech from traditional four-year colleges to get the direct, hands-on skill sets needed in this global work environment.
- An increased awareness about programs and support services for veterans and their families, ranked fifth in the nation by Military Friendly.
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