Gwinnett County Transit
Encyclopedia
Gwinnett County Transit or GCT is the bus
public transit system
in Gwinnett County, Georgia
, USA, one of metro Atlanta
's three most populous suburb
an counties. (The others are Cobb County
, which operates Cobb Community Transit
, and Clayton County
, which operates Clayton County C-TRAN
.)
It was formed in 2000, with express buses starting in November 2001 and local buses in November 2002, and has had greater-than-expected ridership since then. Routes connect to the most populated
areas of the county, including Norcross
and Lawrenceville
. With the assistance of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
(GRTA) express services are available to Atlanta, connecting with MARTA
at the Doraville (NE10), Lindbergh Center (N6), Arts Center (N5), Midtown (N4), North Avenue (N3), Civic Center (N2), Peachtree Center (N1), and Five Points stations. Transfer
s are free between MARTA and GCT. On December 10, 2008, GCT began the official Breeze Card Pilot Launch on routes 10, 102, and 103A. The pilot is expected to last approximately two months according to a memorandum. On February 2, 2009, the pilot program began on the GRTA Xpress routes (410, 412, and 418) operated by GCT.
Along with Cobb, Gwinnett voted against MARTA in the 1970s and thus was left out of a system. The lack of sales tax
revenue
from the two counties stunted the growth of MARTA; however, GRTA, created by former Governor of Georgia Roy Barnes
, has been seeking to create other solutions, such as transit for the entire Atlanta and surrounding areas. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (GPCID) along with MARTA
are seeking alternatives such as light rail
to Gwinnett through the Gwinnett Place
area.
Gwinnett County Transit has 5 local bus routes. The Gwinnett Place Mall Transit Center Hub houses the transfer point for local routes; 10, 30, and 40. Gwinnett County Transit has 6 express bus routes, 3 of which belong to GRTA Xpress
. The express routes are 101, 102, 103, 408, 410, 412, and 418. There are also routes 101A and 103A, which are used as reverse commute in the AM and PM trips.
*** Route will began to be operated by, but NOT a part of Gwinnett County Transit beginning January 5, 2009
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
public transit system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
, USA, one of metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
's three most populous suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an counties. (The others are Cobb County
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
, which operates Cobb Community Transit
Cobb Community Transit
Cobb Community Transit or CCT is the bus public transit system in Cobb County, Georgia, one of metro Atlanta's three most populous suburban counties...
, and Clayton County
Clayton County, Georgia
Clayton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 236,517. The 2008 Census estimate placed the population at 273,718. The county seat is Jonesboro...
, which operates Clayton County C-TRAN
Clayton County C-Tran
The Clayton County C-TRAN was a bus transportation system in Clayton County, Georgia that ran from 2001 to 2010. C-Tran was run by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority to manage the local bus system, linking bus routes to MARTA, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and...
.)
It was formed in 2000, with express buses starting in November 2001 and local buses in November 2002, and has had greater-than-expected ridership since then. Routes connect to the most populated
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
areas of the county, including Norcross
Norcross, Georgia
As of 2010 Norcross had a population of 9,116. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 40.8% white , 19.8% black or African American , 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 10.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.5% from some other race and 4.3% reporting two or more races...
and Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates the 2008 population at 29,258...
. With the assistance of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority or GRTA is a government agency in the U.S. state of Georgia...
(GRTA) express services are available to Atlanta, connecting with MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
at the Doraville (NE10), Lindbergh Center (N6), Arts Center (N5), Midtown (N4), North Avenue (N3), Civic Center (N2), Peachtree Center (N1), and Five Points stations. Transfer
Transfer (public transit)
A transfer allows the rider of a public transportation vehicle who pays for a single-trip fare to continue the trip on another bus or train. Depending on the network, there may or may not be an additional fee for the transfer...
s are free between MARTA and GCT. On December 10, 2008, GCT began the official Breeze Card Pilot Launch on routes 10, 102, and 103A. The pilot is expected to last approximately two months according to a memorandum. On February 2, 2009, the pilot program began on the GRTA Xpress routes (410, 412, and 418) operated by GCT.
Along with Cobb, Gwinnett voted against MARTA in the 1970s and thus was left out of a system. The lack of sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
from the two counties stunted the growth of MARTA; however, GRTA, created by former Governor of Georgia Roy Barnes
Roy Barnes
Roy Eugene Barnes served as the 80th Governor of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election....
, has been seeking to create other solutions, such as transit for the entire Atlanta and surrounding areas. The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (GPCID) along with MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
are seeking alternatives such as light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
to Gwinnett through the Gwinnett Place
Gwinnett Place Mall
Gwinnett Place Mall is a super-regional shopping center located in Duluth, Georgia, in Gwinnett County. For the first 16 years, Gwinnett Place was the leading mall in the region, drawing shoppers from as far away as South Carolina and centering what was then one of the fastest growing counties in...
area.
Gwinnett County Transit has 5 local bus routes. The Gwinnett Place Mall Transit Center Hub houses the transfer point for local routes; 10, 30, and 40. Gwinnett County Transit has 6 express bus routes, 3 of which belong to GRTA Xpress
GRTA Xpress
Xpress is a regional commuter coach service operated as a partnership between the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and Clayton, Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties. As of November 30, 2010, 31 Xpress routes will be fully in...
. The express routes are 101, 102, 103, 408, 410, 412, and 418. There are also routes 101A and 103A, which are used as reverse commute in the AM and PM trips.
Local
- 10: Discover MillsDiscover MillsDiscover Mills is a , single story shopping mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia with over 180 specialty retailers. The mall features 13 anchors as well as a variety of theme restaurants, casual dining and entertainment venues. Discover Mills is the first mall in the United States to have naming rights...
Mall to Gwinnett Place MallGwinnett Place MallGwinnett Place Mall is a super-regional shopping center located in Duluth, Georgia, in Gwinnett County. For the first 16 years, Gwinnett Place was the leading mall in the region, drawing shoppers from as far away as South Carolina and centering what was then one of the fastest growing counties in...
to MARTA Doraville Station via portians of Buford Highway, Beaver Ruin Road, and Satellite Blvd. Route run about every 20–25 minutes, with much higher frequency in the early mornings and late afternoons.
- 20: North Norcross-Tucker Road to Tech Drive via McDonough Drive, South Norcross-Tucker Road and Singleton Road, with frequency being hourly. No service to Gwinnett Transit Center
- 30: Connecting Duluth to Lilburn via South Berkely Road to Gwinnett Transit Center via Indian Trail - Lilburn Road. This portion is one-way only and is known as the "Lilburn Loop." It runs Burns to Pleasant Hill to Lawrenceville Highway to Rockbridge to Dickens back to Indian Trail-Lilburn Road. Frequency is between 30 minutes to an hour.
- 35: Technology Parkway and Spalding to Buford Highway and North Norcross-Tucker Rd. No service to Gwinnett Transit Center. Frequency is hourly.
- 40: Connecting Gwinnett Transit Center to the City of Lawrenceville via Old Norcorss Rd. Atkison Road "Gwinnett Tech" through Old Norcorss and Historic Downtown Lawrenceville and through portions which are only One-Way Sugarloaf Parkway
Express
- 101: I-985 @ Buford Drive Park&Ride to Downtown
- 101A: AM: Georgia State CapitolGeorgia State CapitolThe Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
to Midtown, ending at the Mall of GeorgiaMall of GeorgiaMall of Georgia is a regional shopping mall located in the Mill Creek District of Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Built in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, consisting of more than two hundred stores on three levels...
by way of I-85.
PM: Mall of GeorgiaMall of GeorgiaMall of Georgia is a regional shopping mall located in the Mill Creek District of Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Built in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, consisting of more than two hundred stores on three levels...
to Midtown by way I-85, ending at the Georgia State CapitolGeorgia State CapitolThe Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
. - BF: Downtown to Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field Airport by way of I-85 and Highway 316 ending at Hurricane Shoals ending at Briscoe Field.
PM: Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field Airport to Midtown and Downtown, ending at the Georgia State Capitol by way of Highway 316 and I-85. - 102: Indian Trail Park&Ride to Downtown
- 103: Discover Mills-North Brown Park&Ride to Downtown
- 103A: AM: Georgia State CapitolGeorgia State CapitolThe Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
to Midtown, ending at Discover Mills Park&Ride by way of Steve Reynolds Boulevard, Breckingridge Road, and North Brown.
PM: Discover MillsDiscover MillsDiscover Mills is a , single story shopping mall in Lawrenceville, Georgia with over 180 specialty retailers. The mall features 13 anchors as well as a variety of theme restaurants, casual dining and entertainment venues. Discover Mills is the first mall in the United States to have naming rights...
by way of Steve Reynolds Boulevard, Breckinridge Road, and North Brown to Midtown ending at the Georgia State CapitolGeorgia State CapitolThe Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
GRTA XPRESS
- 408: MARTA Doraville Station to Johns Creek
*** - 410: Discover Mills GRTA Xpress SkatePark Park&Ride to MARTA Lindbergh Station
- 412: Discover Mills GRTA Xpress SkatePark Park&Ride to Midtown
- 418: First Baptist Church of Snellville and Hewitt Road Park&Ride to Downtown
Criticism
Currently there is no local service to the most of the county. The transit system still has the same routes that it started with in 2001 with no additions since. The Comprehensive Transportation Plan stated there would be more transit and local routes, even a commuter rail to Athens, by 2007. However, many transit specialist and patrons believe that the Comprehensive Transportation Plan was just a "front" to pull people into allowing public transit. Many local riders have issues with consistency and reliability with local routes.- There is no Sunday or holiday service.
- There is no local service to Snellville, Dacula, Loganville, Grayson, or any of the other fast-growing areas within the county.
- Operation hours are small for most routes and time frequencies are very long.
- Most drivers and patrons complain that the county caters to the Express routes and its patrons ignoring the needs and problems of local routes.
- The county previously ordered 35 MCI 57-passenger coaches when more and bigger local buses are needed to continue to service the local operation.
- Most local bus passengers complain about the local fare of $2.00. Since Gwinnett is a suburb and outside county it should have a lower fare similar to Cobb and Clayton's transit systems, whose fares are $1.50.
- Express bus passengers complain about the express bus fare for "Zone 2," which is $4.00, when gas prices are well below $3/gal. Some transit experts say due to incline in ridership nationwide some transit operation cost have increased but not dramatically enough to raise fares in most systems, Gwinnett being an example of unfair fare increase.
- Route 10: Time schedules are inconsistent when arriving and departing at the MARTA Doraville Station. The train is scheduled to depart when the bus arrives. Another train is also set to arrive when the bus is scheduled to depart. Gwinnett County Transit has set a rule: "Once the operator closes the doors and departs from the bay slot, no passengers may be allowed to board the station." Some drivers accept Bus2Rails cards at the Doraville Station, and others don't.
- Route 20: Services along majority of the streets are at inconveniences when the 40-ft "A" styled buses or New Flyer "6000" buses are in service when turning on certain streets. One example is turning from Graves Road to McDonough Drive. Also, the route is designed to pass Jimmy Carter Boulevard four times before servicing the small portion it offers.
- Route 40: The bus operates on a 60-minute frequency between the hours of 10am to 3pm. Due to the high need of service for the route 40, buses are constantly late within those time periods due to the fact the normal quantity of riders in one trip is doubled. Also, the timing in the route is unrealistic. Each driver is issued 14-minutes to get to Discover Mills when internet search engine Google Maps states it takes 16-minutes to get to that location, the bus makes multiple stops, so the time should be extended. The last bus departs at 7:30pm on weekdays and 7:00pm on weekends virtuously disabling the ability for most patrons to access Lawrenceville via transit in the evening.In order to meet the departure leaving MARTA Doraville Station, a passenger has to catch the R10 by 6:43pm. The last bus leaves Discover Mills at 9:05 going inbound to the transit center, mall employees don't have an option to use transit to use once the mall closes at 9pm.
- Route 50: The bus operates on a 120-minute frequency between 8a and 4p on weekdays and all days on Saturdays. There are only 9 trips on weekdays and 6 on weekends. Catching the R50 is known to be "a bus that comes when it wants" by most passengers that are familiar with local service.
- Route 101 & 101A: The Park & Ride is too far from Buford Drive making it a long walk for those who choose to transfer to Local R50. Spaces at the lot is known to be at capacity in the AM, and most patrons have to park on the grass or in "NO PARKING" zones.
- Route 102: There is no Sweeper Service from the Capitol in the PM.
- Route 103 & 103A: The park & Ride is completely at capacity in the AM during morning boardings. Some passengers are forced to relocate to the GRTA Xpress Discover Mills SkatePark Park & Ride down the street. Others park across the street in front of Bass Pro Shops even though Mall Management and Security has requested not to do so.
- Route 410: The last bus leaving the Lindbergh stop is at 6:15pm and is changing to 6:10pm after January 5, 2009, making it impossible for patrons that get off of work at 6pm.
- Route 412: Off Peak Mid-Day service operates on a 120-minute frequency between 9a to 2p.
- Route 418: There isn't any Reverse Commute service or stops along Stone Mountain Highway (78).