(Lawrenceville, Ga., July 20, 2016) – The Board of Commissioners were on board Tuesday when it came to approving agenda items related to improved service on Gwinnett County Transit.

District 2 Commissioner Lynette Howard said. “Some of these items go toward keeping our fleet in good repair. Other items address our goal of improved and increased transit service.”

First the Board approved spending about $60,000 in County funds to upgrade the Park and Ride lot at Sugarloaf Mills. Federal and state funds cover the balance of the contract, which totals close to $1.66 million, with Archimetric Design and Construction Inc. This project will redesign the existing Sugarloaf Mills Park and Ride express bus passenger loading lane to accommodate an additional bus lane and a small fare building. Turn lanes, a new traffic signal and sidewalks are also included in this project.

The state portion of the project is funded through the GO TRANSIT! Capital Program, which serves capital funding needs in Georgia through a competitive process.

The Board also approved the purchase of five 40-foot clean diesel buses as part of future plans to expand local bus service. The bus buy was through a consortium from Gillig LLC for $2.3 million. Federal funds provide 80 percent of the funding; the County’s share is $461,641.

Commissioners also agreed to the replacement of seven paratransit vehicles at a cost of $533,351 from National Bus Sales. These paratransit vehicles are 25 feet long and can carry 14 passengers. Federal transit funds cover 80 percent of this cost as well, with the County’s share being $106,670.20. These vehicles are to arrive in 2017.

In order to access the federal funds, the commissioners voted to accept a Surface Transportation Block Grant through the Atlanta Regional Commission. This block grant represents the Federal Transit Administration funds covering the 80 percent of the paratransit vehicles’ cost.

Information on Gwinnett County Transit Service can be found at www.gctransit.com or by calling (770) 822-5010.