Politics & Government

Suwanee Projects on Transportation Wish List

Several Gwinnett cities and CIDs submit requests to state, ARC officials.

Suwanee officials have submitted a transportation "wish list" for two projects totaling $6.8 million to state transportation officials and the Atlanta Regional Commission.

"Context sensitive reconstruction" of Buford Highway from Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road to McGinnis Ferry Road is one item, with an estimated price tag of $5.8 million. Also on the list is pedestrian crossings on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, at $1 million.

And the McGinnis Ferry Road bridge extension over I-85 is on the list, technically as a Gwinnett County project. That effort is scheduled for completion in September.

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Suwanee is one of several Gwinnett County cities and Community Improvement Districts to submit a total of 73 proposed projects.  This was done in advance of a referendum on a 10-year, 1 percent regional transportation sales tax in 2012. Officials estimate the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax could generate as much as $7 billion over the 10-year duration of the tax.

The complete list will first be reviewed by Georgia DOT Planning Director Todd Long, who will provide the Metro Atlanta Regional Roundtable with an unconstrained list for funding consideration, according to a county news release. The project selection process for the referendum will include "substantial public involvement" and will continue throughout the summer and fall.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I believe the joint effort of the Gwinnett cities, the County and CIDs have resulted in a good first step of the process outlined in the 2010 Transportation Investment Act,” said Bucky Johnson, Norcross mayor. “I trust that Gwinnett's effort will help streamline the next steps required of the Regional Roundtable. Ultimately, our citizens will authorize the projects, and our voters deserve our best efforts to insure municipal, county and regional projects are all included."

“Through this collaborative effort, Gwinnett County, its cities and CIDs have compiled a broad range of transportation projects,” said Charlotte Nash, Gwinnett County Chairman. “I want to emphasize that the submission of the potential project list is the beginning of the selection process. The public will have multiple opportunities to affect the final project list and will ultimately determine if the slate of approved projects is worthy of a positive vote in the referendum.”

(See the attached document for the complete list.)


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