Voters reject public transportation expansion in two metro Atlanta counties

Voters in Cobb and Gwinnett counties in metro Atlanta rejected plans to expand public transit through a proposed one-percent sales tax increase at the ballot box Tuesday. 

The referenda aimed to generate billions to fund new bus routes, transit centers, and various other transportation projects over a 30-year period. 

However, both counties saw voters deny the additional funding, leaving public transit advocates concerned about the lack of access in the counties. 

Darin Givens, a public transit advocate and founder of the organization ThreadATL, expressed his disappointment with the decision. 

"It really hurts because it's just going to be longer and longer before transit gets improved in these places," Givens said. 

For him, the referendum’s failure feels personal. 

"I have a neurological condition; I cannot drive. I rely heavily on transit. My mother still lives in Cobb County," he explained.

On the opposing side, Lance Lamberton, the leader of the Cobb Taxpayers Association celebrated the outcome, calling it a "huge victory."

In an email, Lamberton wrote, "The taxaholics in county government can be relied on to attempt to impose their transit tax over and over again." 

He argued that the proposed $10 billion for new bus routes and transit centers would have gone to projects that would likely be under-utilized.

Givens, however, saw the proposed transit expansion as essential. 

"It’d allow somebody like me, who doesn't even have the ability to drive, to get places in Cobb County that I can't get to now," he said.

The Cobb County Board of Education president Randy Scamihorn took a stance against the expansion on the district’s official website, suggesting that more transit access could lead to "poor academic performance and a higher rate of discipline issues." 

Givens dismissed these concerns, emphasizing the unmet transit needs of county residents. 

"It's annoying to think of all the people in these counties who really desperately need this extra service," he said.

The Gwinnett County proposal alone would have raised $17 billion over 30 years, funding as many as 75 transit projects, including new bus services and microtransit expansions. Gwinnett County’s chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson acknowledged the anticipated population growth will lead to more congestion on the roads. 

"Since beginning my term in 2020, I have expressed the need for transit and mobility solutions in Gwinnett. Realizing previous referendum efforts, we went back to the drawing board to design a Transit Plan that addressed the mobility needs of residents, businesses, and stakeholders in Gwinnett," she wrote, adding they'll still try to find funds for the expansion elsewhere. "We will seek and leverage potential funding from state, federal, and local sources as we continue to strive toward our goal of mobility for all," she said.

Givens reflected on the human impact of the failed measures. "It's just a human issue. Right. Not all of us can own a car or drive. And so it affects me on a very emotional level. And so I'm having a sad day," he said.

This marks another setback for transit expansion in the area. In 2019, Gwinnett voters rejected a MARTA proposal that would have expanded the county’s bus system and introduced rail service. Cobb County leaders have also resisted similar efforts for decades.

"Today’s results on the Mobility SPLOST referendum reflect the clear and resounding voice of Cobb County voters and the strength of our democratic process," said Drew Raessler, director of the Cobb County Department of Transportation. "While the Mobility SPLOST did not pass, we remain committed to ensuring that Cobb County continues to be a leader in growth, innovation, and opportunity in Georgia. The conversation about our transit future will be ongoing, and we will continue working diligently to find solutions that meet the evolving needs of our community."

In other metro Atlanta counties, Hall and Jackson also voted down sales tax proposals aimed at funding transportation and infrastructure improvements.