The Future of Cobb Transportation

The Cobb Department of Transportation (Cobb DOT) continued the process of gathering input and refining choices from citizens on the future of Cobb transportation this week.

A roundtable event was held on Tuesday at the Cobb DOT building. Roundtable events last fall provided data and helped to focus on where Cobb wanted to go with transportation in the future. The Tuesday meeting further refined how the traffic options/alignments should be evaluated.

Alignment 1: Acworth to MARTA Arts Center Station along I-75.

Alignment 2: Acworth to MARTA Arts center Station along US 41.

Alignment 3: Kennesaw State U. to MARTA Arts Center Station along I-75.

Alignment 4: Kennesaw State U. to MARTA Arts Center Station along US 41.

Participants at the meeting looked at maps that showed the four possible alignments and added their opinions as to where there should be light/commuter train stations, road access to reversible/HOT/HOV lanes, on site parking, off site parking, additional bus terminals and more. Some alignments were discussed alone and some in conjunction with others.

Sticky notes were placed on maps with suggestions for each transit route. Among the primary train station options were Cumberland Mall and Marietta. Some East Cobbers lobbied for a secondary stop in between at Windy Hill Road or Delk Road. On-site parking and a bus transfer station are needed at the Cumberland Mall station but the land is a bit pricey. A larger additional off-site parking lot and bus station was suggested a few miles to the West.

Commuters from South and West Cobb could park there, catch a bus to the Cumberland station, and be unloaded next to the train. It would be cheaper than parking at the Cumberland station and save a long walk across a parking lot.

I don’t know if it was mentioned at the meeting but a train station at Cumberland Mall and at Sandy Springs would make for a great east-west bus route. A connecting transportation artery that goes east-west is something that is frequently heard at meetings. It would be very cheap to start and operate and could be functioning almost overnight.

Folks from Dobbins, Marietta, Southern Poly, Kennesaw State, Town Center Mall and Acworth showed their special local transportation knowledge by adding dozens of other sticky notes/suggestions which covered the other maps. The Cobb DOT will share that information on its web site.

Transportation wonks will love all the information about transportation surveys, maps, CSX rail options, and transportation options on Cobb DOT/Connect Cobb.

Happily, the “we don’t want no progress crowd” has gotten smaller over time and completely disappeared Tuesday. The “double-deck” road and lobby was absent too.