New Gwinnett transit committee to hold first meeting next week

02/26/2019 — Duluth, Georgia — The exterior of a Gwinnett County Transit bus is displayed at a Gwinnett County Transit bus center near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Tuesday, February 26, 2019. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)

02/26/2019 — Duluth, Georgia — The exterior of a Gwinnett County Transit bus is displayed at a Gwinnett County Transit bus center near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Tuesday, February 26, 2019. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)

Gwinnett County’s new transit review committee will hold its first meeting next week.

The 13-member committee was created in September,  a few months after Gwinnett's latest failed referendum on joining MARTA. Its stated goal is to examine the needs that aren't served by the county's existing transit system and explore the options for addressing them.

The committee is tasked with submitting a report with recommendations by the end of the year.

The resolution creating the committee references the multibillion-dollar transit expansion plan that would've been put in place had March's MARTA referendum passed, while also noting that "additional ideas regarding transit in Gwinnett were suggested by the community" in the run-up to the vote.

“The Board of Commissioners recognizes that there are multiple options for the provision of transit services to Gwinnett County’s residents, businesses, and visitors and desires to pursue options that will be feasible and meet the needs of the Gwinnett community,” the resolution says.

The committee will hold its first meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8. It will be held in Conference Room C of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

The meeting is open to the public.

Committee members were appointed by members of the Board of Commissioners as well as by community groups like the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, the Gwinnett Municipal Association and the Gwinnett Young Professionals.

Members are listed below.

  • Chairman's Appointment: Laurie McClain
  • District 1 Appointment: Linnea Miller
  • District 2 Appointment: John Hollon
  • District 3 Appointment: Kevin Coyle
  • District 4 Appointment: Farooq Mughal
  • Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services: Mary Hester
  • Gwinnett County Transit System Advisory Board: Letha Kelly
  • Gwinnett Municipal Association: Kelly Kelkenberg
  • Gwinnett Young Professionals: Jordan Shumate
  • Leadership Gwinnett Alumni: Chuck Button