Douglas RideShare Manager Wins Ga. Transit Award

Submitted by Douglas County Communications

Gary Watson, Douglas County RideShare Division Manager, has been named the recipient of the Outstanding Transit Manager Award from the Georgia Transit Association. Mr. Watson is in his second stint as RideShare Manager, having first served from 1989 – 2010 and returning out of retirement earlier this year.

In 1989, Douglas County RideShare had two vans, both carrying residents into downtown Atlanta for work. Under his direction, the program expanded to over 80 vanpools which now take Douglas County residents and other West Georgia riders to/from employment in Marietta and Cobb County, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Alpharetta, Buckhead, downtown Atlanta, midtown Atlanta, Carrollton, Lockheed Martin, Century Center, North Druid Hills, Norcross, Emory, Chamblee, Centers for Disease Control, Anniston/Oxford, and other centers of employment.

Mr. Watson was instrumental in bringing to Douglas County the Xpress service of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority which provides non-stop bus service into downtown Atlanta.

He helped design the Douglas County Multimodal Transportation Center complex on Dorris Road behind the Douglas County Courthouse which for the first time brought together all mass transit activities of the County into a comprehensive plan. The $5 million facility was primarily financed through Federal and State funds that Mr. Watson obtained and managed. He was instrumental in the development of satellite park and ride locations throughout the County to make vanpool and Xpress bus service more accessible to County and regional residents.

Outside of his County duties, Mr. Watson is the author of two works of fiction with others in development. He is an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves, and the sports teams of Georgia Tech and the University of West Georgia (his alma mater). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (English and Sociology), and had an extensive history with newspapers in west and northwest Georgia before his Douglas County employment. He has been married to the former Suzanne Harrison for 35 years, and enjoys life with two daughters, their husbands, and two grandchildren.

Douglas County Commission Chairman Tom Worthan stated that “Gary is an invaluable member of the County staff whose dedication and service to County residents are unmatched. Under his leadership, Douglas County RideShare has become the envy and model of all other vanpool programs in the State, and this award recognizes his tremendous accomplishments in his field. We are very proud of him.”

(Photo: Gary and Suzanne Watson. Credit: Douglas County Communications)