GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A $17 billion transit plan will be on the ballot for Gwinnett County voters in November after a 4-1 vote by the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that cleared the way for a transit referendum.

The new transit proposal includes investments in a direct airport bus route, micro-transit expansion, bus rapid transit, and expanded bus routes. County officials say the plan is different from previous failed transportation proposals in Gwinnett County and this new transit plan is the result of months of community feedback.

Voters would have to approve a one percent sales tax to pay for the proposal over 30 years.

“This plan is not about buses,” Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said. “It’s about the power of mobility.”

Unlike a transportation plan that voters rejected in 2020, there are no plans to expand MARTA into Gwinnett County.

Instead, this plan focuses more on efforts to ensure that 100% of the county has easy access to transit.

Currently, about 40% of the county has access to bus routes that are considered easy, according to county officials.

“It allows you to get anywhere in Gwinnett County without a car,” Commissioner Ben Ku said before the vote on Tuesday.

However, Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp voted no and said it was not worth the price tag.

“We will end up with 18 new bus routes with even more empty buses,” Ku said.

Some in the business community say better transit could change lives.

“We are excited about the transit development that will bring better development to bring people more job access,” Kenyata Smiley said, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce.

Voters will ultimately decide the fate of the plan on November 5.