A new group has given a tangible vision to the Cobb transit whispers, offering an extensive outline of what the future could hold for the state’s third most populous county in terms of public transportation.
Transit for Cobb, a group promoting the expansion of public transit options in the county, has released an in depth website that offers a glimpse at the various options for transportation improvements. Public transit has of course always been a tricky topic for county officials, who have fended off MARTA overtures in the past while offering only an underdeveloped bus line to residents. As Cobb grows though, (it is now the state’s second densest county) the idea of high-capacity transit service begins to look more and more palatable.
The City of Atlanta is a step ahead, already voting to approve a sales tax increase that will flesh out MARTA lines across the in-town area. Other metro counties, including Clayton, have also voted in the affirmative to expand public transportation. Officials under the Gold Dome have taken notice as well, with House Speaker David Ralston in May creating the House Commission on Transit Governance & Funding to study the state’s transit needs and how best to address them. One notable Cobb name on that committee is Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, who has been open to the idea of expanding public transportation north in the past.
According to a 2016 study from the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb County residents are well aware of their transportation troubles. In that survey 29% of respondents listed transportation as the biggest issue facing them, a full 10 points ahead of second place ‘crime.’ 73% of Cobb respondents said that improved public transit was ‘very important’ for metro Atlanta’s future, and 42% said that expanding trains and buses was the best way to help solve traffic issues, compared to the 29% who thought improving roadways was the best answer.
If public desire is indeed there, then it is only a matter of time before political will catches up. So if transportation expansion in Cobb is on the horizon, what might it look like?
Possible heavy rail expansion from Transit for Cobb
The first and most logical step would be to connect Cobb to the existing MARTA lines by adding a new heavy rail line coming up I-75 to Marietta. With stops at the Cobb Galleria, Suntrust Park, Dobbins Air Force Base, and Kennesaw State University, hundreds of thousands of Atlantans would be plugged in to their city’s growing public transportation grid.
A more ambitious proposal would add light rail spurs off of that heavy rail line, with connections in Vinings, Smyrna, and continuing north as far as Acworth and Noonday. Light rail would be a more long term solution, as similar plans in Atlanta are still far from fruition with a substantial head start.
Improved bus service is the other piece to the puzzle, with layered routes allowing Cobb citizens to easily get from their homes to nearby rail lines, allowing them to move throughout the county and city without needing to even get in their car. CobbLinc, the existing bus service in the county, has been roundly criticized for its lack of routes and oft-delayed service.
We’re seeing the very beginnings of the push for public transportation in Cobb County, but with such grand designs the future is bright.
