The referendum asked voters to authorize a contract with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, which would have added a 1 percent sales tax to pay for transit projects. The plan called, in part, for an extension of MARTA’s Gold Line from its current terminus in Doraville, Ga., to the Jimmy Carter Boulevard area in Norcross, Ga.
Gwinnett leaders say the county’s projected growth could make it the most populated county in the state, and they seem poised to ask residents to vote again on a MARTA proposal.
“As you might expect, I am disappointed, but transit expansion is so critical to Gwinnett’s future that doing nothing is not acceptable,” Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said. “I anticipate that the board of commissioners will be considering all possible options over the coming weeks and making decisions about next steps.
According to election returns, 54.3 percent of voters cast ballots against the proposal. Only 16.9 percent of registered voters cast votes in the special election.
“We respect the sentiments of the voters who exercised their constitutional right,” a MARTA representative said in a statement. “Nonetheless, we remain optimistic about the future of transit in our region.”
Gwinnett County voters also rejected proposals to join MARTA in 1990 and 1971, The Associated Press reported.
Transit is a hot-button issue in the Atlanta area, which regularly ranks among the top cities with the worst commutes. Expanding MARTA into surrounding counties is an ongoing topic, and voters in Clayton County opted in November 2014 to join the transit system.
Earlier this year, MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker said Atlanta needs a “moonshot for transit” to keep pace with metro Atlanta’s continued growth.
