Pete HahnloserThis article was written using information found in the National Bond Report from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. This comprehensive report features information on every public entity planning to hold a bond election. To purchase this report, click here.
Voters in Cobb County, Georgia, will have their say on a proposed list of transit and transportation projects developed from the county’s Comprehensive Traffic Plan study and community outreach efforts. The Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (MSPLOST), set to appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, proposes a 1-cent sales tax to support, expand and improve Cobb County’s transit services over the next 30 years, bringing in $11 billion.
“What it comes down to is, ‘Do we perceive the future is worth it?’” Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in June, recognizing that the length of the MSPLOST is a challenge to many. “We can do something that is transformational … it enhances our ability to serve our own citizens.”
According to the county, the MSPLOST proposal provides residents with the opportunity to consider a dedicated funding source that will help infrastructure meet current and future mobility demands, encourage commerce, reduce traffic congestion and encourage environmental sustainability.
Planned transportation upgrades to Cobb County include:
- Direct regional connections to three MARTA stations (Dunwoody, Arts Center, and HE Holmes).
- Improved access to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
- Countywide microtransit zones serving everyone, including disabled, veteran and elderly populations.
- Transit links to all seven cities and three Community Improvement Districts within the county.
- Enhanced transit connections to Kennesaw State University, Life University, Chattahoochee Technical College and other higher education institutions.
- Improved transit access to major entertainment venues, business hubs and healthcare facilities.
- Development of bike and pedestrian pathways to ensure seamless connectivity to the expanded transit network.
Additional dedicated funding from MPLOST would allow for the expansion of flexible transit options designed to meet community needs. Potential options include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Arterial Rapid Transit (ART), commuter and rapid routes serving city centers and high-density areas, along with local routes connecting smaller communities.
Specifically, the proposal calls for:
- 73 miles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) offering rail-like services through mostly dedicated lanes, with premium stations and frequent service, covering Cobb’s busiest corridors and connecting to nearby rail stations outside the county.
- 34 miles of Arterial Rapid Transit designed to reduce congestion at intersections along major Cobb roadways.
- 325 miles of expanded local, commuter and rapid transit routes extending transit coverage to previously underserved areas, especially in the southern and northern cities, with a potential future circulator to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
- Six new or enhanced transit hubs located in key areas such as Cumberland, Marietta, South Cobb, North Cobb, East Cobb and Riverside South Cobb, facilitating connections between routes.
- Countywide microtransit coverage, offering on-demand service in areas without fixed routes, divided into 14 zones or connecting to nearby transit routes.
- Paratransit service within ¾ mile of all fixed routes for individuals with mobility challenges, along with a transportation voucher program for trips outside paratransit boundaries.
- A $1 billion investment in transit-supportive projects like multiuse trails, sidewalks for better transit access and roadway improvements to boost transit efficiency.
- Funding for transportation technology such as Wi-Fi and mobile apps to enhance the rider experience.
The county board of commissioners approved placing MPLOST on the November ballot by a 3-2 vote in June, with detractors pointing to the decades-long term of the additional sales tax that would saddle an additional generation with financial impacts.
R32s on the E Train, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
