FOCUS: Group seeks to have 50,000 conversations about transportation

By Joel Wascher  |  The week of August 24-28, leaders as well as hundreds of other volunteers in Gwinnett will be focusing on what role transportation plays in shaping Gwinnett’s future, and what they want that future to look like. The program, called the “Gr8 Exchange on Transportation,” was kicked off on August 3 with nearly 100 community leaders starting the conversation on this subject.

15.0807.GR8LogoChuck Warbington, executive director for the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District, says: “This isn’t an effort to prescribe what type of transportation people need to be talking about; it’s a more organic approach to the public input process. We hope to reach portions of the community that have not always been represented at the table.”

Diverse groups from all around Gwinnett will be mobilizing to take part in the Exchange. The goal is to have 50,000 conversations the week of August 24th.

The leadership team is currently in the process of recruiting volunteers to help take the message into the many communities of Gwinnett. They will be passing out materials at local restaurants, cafes or sporting events. Volunteers will have the opportunity to host local conversations which can be anything from a happy hour or dinner to a neighborhood meeting. They will also be asked to pledge to have more personal, one-on-one focused conversations on this subject. Every person who participates in a conversation will be asked to take a text survey with eight simple questions that get to the heart of what they want Gwinnett to be 20, 30 or 40 years from now.

Joe Allen, executive director of the Gwinnett Place CID, says: “We can’t reach everyone on our own. For this effort to be a success, we need people from all over Gwinnett to take ownership of this program and use the tools we’ve created to reach their own networks.”

Here are a three other ways people who live and/or work in Gwinnett can help support this county-wide, week-long conversation:

  • Spread the word!  Share information with your friends, colleagues and peers in Gwinnett. Just click here to share on Facebook, Twitter and more.
  • Host a conversation! The Gr8 Exchange is looking to have 500 hosted conversations on transportation the week of August 24th. Check out the planned conversations here and post your own here.
  • Volunteer! The Exchange will need help spreading the word all across Gwinnett. They’re looking for volunteers to help initiate conversations by passing out post-cards, flyers, texting cards and more. Sign-up here.
  • For more information, visit www.thegr8exchange.com/rally
Share