Gwinnett passes SPLOST (Atlanta, Doraville: construction, tax, live)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by bfarley30

To me the passing sounds like the main problem the Atlanta region has: everyone wants THEIR county to pay for THEIR things and then you have a region that doesn't work together. While I'm a transit and transportation supporter, this just shows how there will never be one regional transit system and how working to provide roads and other projects will only work in that county versus being useful to the entire region.

Gwinnett is a wealthy, diverse and urbanized region of a nearly a million people. They put entire states like Vermont, North Dakota and Wyoming in the shade. Their school system alone is larger than all but three Georgia cities.

Why shouldn't Gwinnett be in charge of its own destiny when it comes to transportation?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gwinnett is a wealthy, diverse and urbanized region of a nearly a million people. They put entire states like Vermont, North Dakota and Wyoming in the shade. Their school system alone is larger than all but three Georgia cities.

Why shouldn't Gwinnett be in charge of its own destiny when it comes to transportation?

But they are not serious about solving the congestion issues and/or building a reliable transit system, if it be bus or rail.
Nashville metro has just over 1 million people and has a full bus system and 1 commuter rail line.
I have no problem with Gwinnett taxing itself to benefit its citizens, but they have close to 1M people and need to come up with a REALLY solution to congestion. Poverty is constantly growing in that county and they are doing nothing to help those in need get to jobs. They just force everyone to own a car, which is expensive and adds to the growing poverty issue.
I could Gwinnett eventually joining MARTA, once Keith Parker gets it in order. But MARTA would have to have a clear path to building a rail lien into the count, because I don;t see Gwinnett joining the transit agency if it knows there is not concrete plans to build a rail line.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gwinnett is a wealthy, diverse and urbanized region of a nearly a million people. They put entire states like Vermont, North Dakota and Wyoming in the shade. Their school system alone is larger than all but three Georgia cities.

Why shouldn't Gwinnett be in charge of its own destiny when it comes to transportation?

A lot of the progressives are now into "regionalism."

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I could Gwinnett eventually joining MARTA, once Keith Parker gets it in order. But MARTA would have to have a clear path to building a rail lien into the count, because I don;t see Gwinnett joining the transit agency if it knows there is not concrete plans to build a rail line.

Those folks up in Gwinnett are smart and they don't mess around. If they wanted transit they would simply haul off and build it themselves.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Those folks up in Gwinnett are smart and they don't mess around. If they wanted transit they would simply haul off and build it themselves.

Yes and GCT is a great example.

[arjay57]

MARTA would do backflips if they could persuade Gwinnett to come into their system.

However, Gwinnett simply isn't interested at this point. They are smart and they've got the resources to do whatever they please.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

MARTA would do backflips if they could persuade Gwinnett to come into their system.

However, Gwinnett simply isn't interested at this point. They are smart and they've got the resources to do whatever they please.

Then by all means a county of 800K people and a huge concentration of businesses, should have a functioning bus system that runs everyday. They don't even have that, which tells me they are not serious about creating a transit system.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Then by all means a county of 800K people and a huge concentration of businesses, should have a functioning bus system that runs everyday. They don't even have that, which tells me they are not serious about creating a transit system.

Exactly. Most of their leadership probably still thinks it's 1985 (when their population was about 200K).

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Then by all means a county of 800K people and a huge concentration of businesses, should have a functioning bus system that runs everyday. They don't even have that, which tells me they are not serious about creating a transit system.

But seriously, who are we to say what Gwinnett county "should" have? If they want mass transit, it's certainly within their means to create it.

I think they simply don't want it.

[bfarley30]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Gwinnett is a wealthy, diverse and urbanized region of a nearly a million people. They put entire states like Vermont, North Dakota and Wyoming in the shade. Their school system alone is larger than all but three Georgia cities.

Why shouldn't Gwinnett be in charge of its own destiny when it comes to transportation?

Because at the end of the day it is still a suburb of Atlanta. Gwinnett's success is because of its proximity to Atlanta. Put that county outside of the metro area and do you think it would have the same success as it has now? No. Again because the hub of the region is Atlanta, a successful transit and transportation infrastructure should start with linking there first. Not trying to make Gwinnett a success without the rest of the region. Without Atlanta there would be no Gwinnett (the Gwinnett we all know and love). Atlanta doesn't need Gwinnett but Gwinnett does and continues to thrive because of Atlanta.