After decades of resistance, Atlanta's booming suburbs face a historic vote on public transit

[mahatmakanejeeves]

After decades of resistance, Atlanta’s booming suburbs face a historic vote on public transit
By JENNY JARVIE
MAR 18, 2019 | 3:00 AM | LAWRENCEVILLE, GA.

For nearly half a century, plans to link trains and buses in Atlanta, the bustling hub of the Deep South, to its sprawling northern suburbs went nowhere. ... In 1971, and then again in 1990, residents of Gwinnett County, long a majority-white area northeast of Atlanta, voted overwhelmingly against joining the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. In a deeply segregated metro region, many suburbanites expressed fears that public transit would bring inner-city residents and violent crime out to the suburbs.
....

Gwinnett is no longer a white, rural outpost. Since the referendum nearly three decades ago, its population has ballooned from about 350,000 to 920,000 and the proportion of white residents has plummeted from 89% to 37%.

But even now that Gwinnett is majority minority, and a new referendum will be held Tuesday on whether to connect with MARTA and fund new heavy rail and rapid bus lines, it is not certain that a new generation of young, black, Latino and Asian residents will vote to connect.
....

Jeanetta Shepherd, 57, a white property manager who lives and works in Duluth, said she opposed the plan because she was unlikely to travel by bus or train and suspected the services would be used mostly by low-income residents and immigrants, who she referred to as “illegals.” ... “Why should we pay for it?” she asked. “Why subsidize people who can’t manage their money and save up a dime to buy a car?”
....

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Yep, and it's the 'Jeanetta's who are holding Gwinnett back. It is now THE most diverse co.

in Georgia. I had lunch w/fam up there Sat and the restaurant was a slice of America. Did me good! And my fam is voting FOR Marta.

[bigbrother05]

2. Yea Jeanetta, don't want them carrying a stolen TV on public transit

Such backward thinking. Guess someone moving from Duluth to Atlanta thought they still wore hoops skirts and got the vapors.

Maybe someone rides public transit because it reduces pollution and wear and tear on their car?

[Hoyt]

3. MARTA has been a racist -- and disgusting -- issue since day one. Hope it expands, finally.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Rather... MARTA has evoked racism because.... racists are idiots.