ATLANTA — Suburban Gwinnett County is voting today on whether to fund an expansion of the Atlanta-area MARTA transit agency, including an expansion of its heavy rail system, into the county.
The referendum asks voters to approve a contract between the county and MARTA that would allow MARTA to take over existing Gwinnett County transit operations and adds a 1-percent sales tax until 2057 to fund transit expansion.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that 32,000 early ballots have been cast in the election and that voting is expected to be close.
The tax would raise an estimated $5.5 billion, helping fund projects including a 5-mile extension of the MARTA rail system’s Gold Line from its current northeast terminus at Doraville to a new intermodal hub in Gwinnett. The line would take 15 to 20 years to build.
It would also lead to about 50 miles of bus rapid transit, 110 miles of faster bus corridors, new express commuter bus routes and park-and-ride facilities, and increasing traditional bus service.
