By Jocelyne Soto
NORCROSS, Ga. | One of the hallmarks of independence is the ability to get from one place to another, on your schedule and within your means. For many Latino folks in Gwinnett County, specifically in and around the Gateway85 Community Improvement District, a lack of transit options impede them from getting to the “supermercados,” where they get their groceries, from making important healthcare appointments, and from gaining and maintaining ongoing employment opportunities.
Soto
As someone focused on engagement for a national civic engagement non-profit organization that unites Latino, immigrant, and allied communities to promote social and economic justice, I am in favor of expanding microtransit access through the Gateway85-Norcross Microtransit Demonstration Project. I speak approvingly of this project because it has the potential to address longstanding transit and mobility challenges faced by residents in the Gateway85 area, Norcross and Gwinnett-at large.
The proposed microtransit service area encapsulates neighborhoods with some of the highest transit dependency rates in Gwinnett County. Recently, the Gateway85 CID convened meetings that brought organizations – civic, nonprofit and enterprise – together around the aspiration to bolster support for the Latino community centered in this region. It was at one of these meetings where I realized just how great the need is for the families living here.
The people who would most benefit from expansion of microtransit face obstacles that make them more vulnerable: limited English proficiency, lack of access to healthcare and lower levels of educational attainment. All of these obstacles are compounded by a lack of strong transit infrastructure to get people to the places they want and need to go.
Without robust transit options, mobility equity and community development are hampered. A microtransit conversation is not just about transportation. At the heart of it all is equity and inclusion. This conversation is about fostering economic resilience for all and increasing the vibrancy of this community by giving more people an opportunity to get out in the world to not only see all that Gateway85 has to offer, but to participate as an employee, as a consumer and as an invested community member. I want more people to have the chance to see why this area has become known as the “Hub of World Diversity.”
The affordability of the Gateway85-Norcross Microtransit Demonstration Project – each rider will pay just $3 a ride, including transfers – means employees can get to work in a timely fashion without paying exorbitant transportation costs. It means employers can have an expanded talent pool of workers. This means Gateway85 will see an increase in productivity.
I want our diverse community to thrive, prosper and live a long time. I want to see our futures be intertwined through community and engagement. As a person whose life has been shaped by my experiences as a Latina, I believe many families would benefit from a service like the one being proposed.
Microtransit will help residents access retail shopping centers, grocery stores, restaurants and other commercial establishments. What’s more, this project will assist residents in reaching healthcare facilities, parks and other leisure centers, educational and employment opportunities and a wide variety of essential and basic services that many of us take for granted because we can so easily access them in automobiles. By educating the residents of this area about the microtransit service, we can ensure it fulfills its purpose and bridges the gap between community needs and civic response.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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