From late August to early September Gwinnett County was engaged in the Gr8 Exchange on Transportation, a county wide survey on transportation. The goal of this survey was to gauge what alternative modes of transportation (if any) the residents of Gwinnett support and why. There was an overwhelming response from Gwinnett and the surrounding counties. Over 175,000 individuals were reached on social media, over 100,000 interactions on transportation were started daily, and over 4000 respondents participated in the survey throughout the first week of the Gr8 Exchange – 4,000 in a week is the highest rate of response for a transportation survey ever conducted in the United States. What the data revealed is that the residents of Gwinnett (1) want an easier path to work (2) want an easier path to Atlanta (3) want to reduce congestion throughout Gwinnett and (4) desire rail access (or other mode of public transit) to facilitate the aforementioned three goals.
Gwinnett’s residents are by and large practical problem solvers and would prefer a plethora of transit options rather than just more roads. A majority respondents stated that if they could change one thing about Gwinnett it would be the traffic. Due to the high rate of traffic and congestion residents of Gwinnett and the surrounding area cannot feasibly be expected to commute effectively from point A to point B, getting around by car alone is inconvenient and often a difficult ordeal. Consequently, a majority of residents would prefer to get around the county and the greater Atlanta area through a combination of public transit and car (e.g., express park and ride). While 30 percent of respondents are fine with using just their car to get around the county, 52 percent would prefer a combination, and a majority of those that would prefer a combination rate rail as their most desired mode of transportation. As happens in mature urban communities, folks want a range of options and would especially like the option to use a combination mass rail transit and cars. Given the data, it necessarily follows that a majority of residents of Gwinnett would prefer a park and ride system wherein they can drive to the train station, park their vehicle, and then commute via rail to Atlanta or throughout the county. Furthermore, expanding rail throughout the county and Atlanta area would not only meet the wants of Gwinnett residents, it would also meet their needs. A majority of respondents believe rail would make transportation more convenient and lower their commute time. That conclusion is a given. If there are less vehicles on Gwinnett and Atlanta roads, there will be less congestion. With less congestion comes shorter travel times and less inconvenient events (e.g., accidents and gridlock) that result from congestion. As it stands, there are too many cars on the road and much of our congestion could be alleviated by providing an alternate means of transportation. Rail would be the most practical solution to Gwinnett’s transportation woes.
However, “practical approaches” have few champions in politics these days. Oftentimes elected officials would rather avoid the question entirely or politicize what really should not be a political question. They fear working on a problem wherein one might have to tell both sides “you cannot get everything you want.” In the course of politics, as elected officials scramble from one campaign to another, it becomes more convenient to avoid topics that may cost one an election than it does to actually address the problem at hand. Some elected officials would rather pontificate and stake out ideological positions that have little to do with solving a problem and more to do with placating the base of their political party. It’s my hope that Gwinnett leaders will realize that they can deliver on a practical solution and not pay the price at the polls for having told one side or the other “no,” but it’s my bigger hope that Gwinnettians themselves will see that they have to make this practical solution a priority or we simply won’t get what we ask for – especially if we aren’t asking for it loudly and clearly in the voting booth.
Rail Is The Answer to Gwinnett’s Transportation Woes
September 29, 2015 — 5th District Blog Posts and CommentsFrom late August to early September Gwinnett County was engaged in the Gr8 Exchange on Transportation, a county wide survey on transportation. The goal of this survey was to gauge what alternative modes of transportation (if any) the residents of Gwinnett support and why. There was an overwhelming response from Gwinnett and the surrounding counties. Over 175,000 individuals were reached on social media, over 100,000 interactions on transportation were started daily, and over 4000 respondents participated in the survey throughout the first week of the Gr8 Exchange – 4,000 in a week is the highest rate of response for a transportation survey ever conducted in the United States. What the data revealed is that the residents of Gwinnett (1) want an easier path to work (2) want an easier path to Atlanta (3) want to reduce congestion throughout Gwinnett and (4) desire rail access (or other mode of public transit) to facilitate the aforementioned three goals.
Gwinnett’s residents are by and large practical problem solvers and would prefer a plethora of transit options rather than just more roads. A majority respondents stated that if they could change one thing about Gwinnett it would be the traffic. Due to the high rate of traffic and congestion residents of Gwinnett and the surrounding area cannot feasibly be expected to commute effectively from point A to point B, getting around by car alone is inconvenient and often a difficult ordeal. Consequently, a majority of residents would prefer to get around the county and the greater Atlanta area through a combination of public transit and car (e.g., express park and ride). While 30 percent of respondents are fine with using just their car to get around the county, 52 percent would prefer a combination, and a majority of those that would prefer a combination rate rail as their most desired mode of transportation. As happens in mature urban communities, folks want a range of options and would especially like the option to use a combination mass rail transit and cars. Given the data, it necessarily follows that a majority of residents of Gwinnett would prefer a park and ride system wherein they can drive to the train station, park their vehicle, and then commute via rail to Atlanta or throughout the county. Furthermore, expanding rail throughout the county and Atlanta area would not only meet the wants of Gwinnett residents, it would also meet their needs. A majority of respondents believe rail would make transportation more convenient and lower their commute time. That conclusion is a given. If there are less vehicles on Gwinnett and Atlanta roads, there will be less congestion. With less congestion comes shorter travel times and less inconvenient events (e.g., accidents and gridlock) that result from congestion. As it stands, there are too many cars on the road and much of our congestion could be alleviated by providing an alternate means of transportation. Rail would be the most practical solution to Gwinnett’s transportation woes.
However, “practical approaches” have few champions in politics these days. Oftentimes elected officials would rather avoid the question entirely or politicize what really should not be a political question. They fear working on a problem wherein one might have to tell both sides “you cannot get everything you want.” In the course of politics, as elected officials scramble from one campaign to another, it becomes more convenient to avoid topics that may cost one an election than it does to actually address the problem at hand. Some elected officials would rather pontificate and stake out ideological positions that have little to do with solving a problem and more to do with placating the base of their political party. It’s my hope that Gwinnett leaders will realize that they can deliver on a practical solution and not pay the price at the polls for having told one side or the other “no,” but it’s my bigger hope that Gwinnettians themselves will see that they have to make this practical solution a priority or we simply won’t get what we ask for – especially if we aren’t asking for it loudly and clearly in the voting booth.
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