Funding and Policy Recommendations

Developing a Trails Master Plan is only the first step toward implementation—funding needs to be identified for individual trail segments to be designed, right-of-way to be acquired, and construction to be completed. Implementation of a network of this magnitude will require the partnership of Gwinnett County, its cities and CIDs, and private and non-profit organizations.

The primary source of funding for the Trails Master Plan is constrained by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which is allocated from DOT and Community Services. Although the Countywide Trails Master Plan has approximately $1 billion of trail projects based on projected SPLOST contributions, additional funding sources and partners will need to be identified to fully realize this trail implementation—as well as to accelerate its development. Local funding can be leveraged to secure federal funding, and Cities and CIDs have the ability to use SPLOST, capital budgets, or CID revenues to contribute towards the vision. Private and non-profit sponsorships and funding will also be critical implementation sources.

Branding and Wayfinding

A robust branding and wayfinding effort is critical to the success of the Countywide Trails Master Plan. This effort will create an identity for the system while also promoting usage, engagement, and continued investment in the system. In addition to naming trail corridors, which helps to brand specific trail segments, trail signage that features the Gwinnett Trails-specific logo will further establish the system’s identity. The County and the planning team are currently developing a set of wayfinding and signage standards to outfit the existing and future trails system.