GAINESVILLE — So, if a rapid transit bus service was available for trips from Hall County to Atlanta, would residents use it?
The Vision 2030 Transportation Committee thinks the idea is viable, so much so, committee members think the service could become a reality as soon as next year.
Rapid transit was one of the ideas brought forth this past week during a bus tour - called the Transportation Awareness Tour - coordinated by Vision 2030. The idea was to bring business, community and volunteers leaders together and take them on a two-hour tour of the county, showing them the places where transportation needs are greatest.
One of the stops on the tour was the park n' ride lot at Exit 17 off I-985, a lot that was recently cleaned up by the city of Oakwood and is now maintained by the University of North Georgia.
At that stop, Doug Hanson, a community volunteer with Vision 2030, told tour participants that his group has studied the idea of a public-private partnership for rapid transit and he thinks the plan can move forward as early as spring 2016.
"I think there's a pent up demand in Hall County for rapid transit to Atlanta," said Hanson. "We must do a discovery through feasibility studies and inquiries and media questions to find out how many really want to take advantage of this opportunity."
Hanson said he's already approached a bus service that can fill the demand, and Daniel's Charters is on board with the idea.
"I believe at the end of the first quarter [of 2016] we can have some sort of a promo bus tour to the airport [Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport] and by the middle of the year, I think we can have buses ready to make this run with customers - ready to go - from Gainesville to the Five Points station to the Capitol and finally to the airport."
The service, said Hanson, would run four routes in the morning and four in the afternoon. Each trip could be done for less than $20 per person.
Hanson said he was glad to see the interest from those on the tour this past Tuesday, noting that he had never met Oakwood City Manager Stan Brown. Now, the two can collaborate on the rapid transit idea.
"I've been on the Vision 2030 committee and I'm ready to see it become a reality in 2016."
