How can we keep moving?
Transportation in Gwinnett
By Marsha Anderson Bomar
President, Street Smarts
for Gwinnett Forum.com

May 18, 2001 -- Seventeen years ago, I arrived in the reasonably rural Gwinnett County with no Gwinnett Place mall nor urban freeway on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Growth was upon Gwinnett and traffic was already a nightmare during peak periods.

Foresight and good planning, a bond issue and several SPLOST programs later, we are in better shape than most communities. Past success came from being ready with plans and dollars to seize the opportunities for improvement quickly.

We have better quality and more quantity of adequate facilities than some of our surrounding areas. However, problems persist.

Along with many rapidly expanding areas, we are maxing out on the ability to build new or improved infrastructure in key places. Roads are often as wide as they can get without great disruption to community.

Are there answers to this? I believe that there are, if we continue to formulate a long-range vision similar to what Gwinnett has had since the late 70's and early 80's.

A system approach is critical to this situation, since there is no one element that will save the day. The road network must be maintained, and improved to the extent that it can.

Viewing the answer as a mobility program and not a road program allows for the use of a system approach. It must include the often-identified pedestrian and bicycle facilities - but they must be extensive and SAFE to use. Grade-separated crossing of major intersections and at railroads is costly, but similarly important for both mobility and safety.

Convenience type facilities interjected into residential areas, accessible without motorized transportation, requires a change in the land use philosophy. Their value is that they can reduce or eliminate short trips that eat up road capacity, but most importantly, contribute to poor air quality.
The right kind of transit, very focused, reliable and comprehensive, is probably the one component with the most potential for positive impact. The decisions made regarding this implementation will certainly be budget driven, but really, must be success driven. That means biting some bullets in the early stages to ensure overall acceptance.

No one likes waiting too long, for it seems like forever when you don't know what to expect. Here's what we need for improved transportation:

… Transportation schedules must be pushed to keep the time between buses as short as possible. … Potential users must know when to expect the bus and be able to count on that schedule. … Routes must go where the people want them to go - an outgrowth of good planning. … Technology must give buses priority so there is an obvious and direct reward for riding the bus.

Gwinnett is good at planning. Now it must stretch in every way to implement a transportation system which is really appealing, and attracts lots of us out of our single (or even multiple) occupant vehicles.

That's the way to keep moving with a intelligent transportation program in Gwinnett County.

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