NORCROSS, Ga. | Another area of Gwinnett will get microtransit service, starting August 1.
Gwinnett County, the Gateway 85 Community Improvement District and the city of Norcross will combine resources to improve mobility in a zone around Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Interstate 85 starting later this year.
About 36,000 residents in Norcross will have access to the new Southwest Gwinnett Microtransit pilot program. The area to be served has been identified as having socio-economic disparities, with more than half of household incomes falling below 60 percent of the area median income.
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson applauded the Gateway 85 CID and Norcross officials for their partnership. She says: “By leveraging our resources and expertise to expand microtransit, we’re charting a new course that will serve our diverse community’s transportation needs. Strong partnerships like this one are instrumental in helping us achieve mobility for all.”
The pilot program will operate 14 hours a day Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays, for a period of one year. Gwinnett County will provide four vehicles and manage operations. The estimated $1.3 million cost of the program will be funded 44 percent each by Gwinnett County and the Gateway85 CID, with the city of Norcross contributing 12 percent. The agreement between the three entities will be in effect from Aug. 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025.
Emory Morsberger, Gateway85 CID executive director, said of the new service for the area: “Gateway85 is so pleased with the progress we have made and is fortunate to have great relations with government and community leadership in the area that made this possible.The CID has other programs in development that are also infrastructure focused and are aimed to improve accessibility for everyone living and working within our district and those visiting the area.”
With the plan now approved by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, this marks the final step in a multi-jurisdictional agreement to start up microtransit in the Norcross area.
Gwinnett County has been recognized as a national leader in the deployment of microtransit. By providing convenient access to key destinations and commerce hubs, microtransit projects like this have already proven their success in other parts of Gwinnett. Snellville, which ran a successful pilot in 2019, has recently relaunched a similar service. Lawrenceville also runs a microtransit service, and the county is considering rolling out other microtransit zones in other areas in the coming months.
During several hearings on the Norcross project, business leaders and community leaders spoke in support of the potential economic impact of this program. Norcross City Council Member, Bruce Gaynor, states: “Microtransit is a significant win for our city. This partnership between Gwinnett County, the businesses of Gateway 85 CID, and the city, shows that we can all come together to meet community needs. Transit connects jobs, education, and recreation in a way that improves our resident’s lives and our business’s bottom lines.”
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