Transit is on the ballot in both Cobb and Gwinnett, but plans differ

Efforts to expand regional transit options in the Atlanta suburbs are back on the ballot next month.

Cobb and Gwinnett counties, which have voted down efforts in the past, are trying once more with similar plans that borrow heavily from one another. The proposals were drafted with lessons learned from past failed attempts and offer a range of services designed to appeal to more voters.

County leaders say it’s a chance to make the suburbs, long designed around car ownership, more accessible for modern transportation needs. In addition to residents who rely on public transit because they can’t afford to drive, there are also growing numbers of people opting out of driving by choice.

“We have got to really think about our future and how people get around,” Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. “People just travel differently. They live differently.”

Here’s a breakdown of the two plans:

The basics

Cobb: The referendum would authorize a 1% sales tax for the next 30 years, which county officials estimate could generate nearly $11 billion over the life of the tax. The money will be used for CobbLinc transit and transit-supportive projects. Approval would allow the county to issue up to $950 million in bonds to pay for the projects up front. In addition to the sales tax revenue, Cobb’s plan counts on about $3 billion in federal grants and estimates about $467 million in increased fare revenue. The MSPLOST would fund CobbLinc’s daily operations, which are currently primarily covered by local property taxes. Roughly 766,000 people live in Cobb, which spans 340 square miles. The Atlanta Regional Commission estimates Cobb will grow by 20% by 2050.

Gwinnett: The referendum would authorize a 1% sales tax for the next 30 years, which county officials estimate would generate $12.4 billion over the life of the tax. The money would be used to expand Ride Gwinnett, the county’s transit service of mostly buses. The county’s transit plan also counts on $3.6 billion in federal grants and $1.4 billion in revenue from fares over 30 years. More than 1 million people live in Gwinnett, which spans 427 square miles. The ARC estimates Gwinnett will grow 25% by 2050.

Bus rapid transit

Cobb: The county plans to add bus rapid transit routes spanning 73 miles. The BRT routes will have dedicated travel lanes and traffic signal timing preferences to keep buses moving quickly. Proposed routes include Marietta to Cumberland, Marietta to South Cobb and Town Center to Marietta. BRT routes to three MARTA stations have also been proposed. Buses would come every 15 to 20 minutes and make fewer stops than other routes.

In addition to BRT routes, the proposal calls for adding 34 miles of arterial rapid transit routes. These routes operate more frequently than local service routes but don’t rely exclusively on dedicated lanes.

Gwinnett: The county plans to add one bus rapid transit line, spanning 26 miles, and eight arterial rapid transit lines, spanning 115 miles. The BRT route will run on a mix of dedicated lanes and shorter “queue-jumping” lanes that give buses priority at traffic lights. Buses will come every 10 to 15 minutes. It would operate from the Doraville MARTA station to a proposed transit hub in Lawrenceville. The arterial rapid transit routes will also have traffic signal priority and queue-jumping lanes but not dedicated lanes.

Microtransit

Cobb: CobbLinc currently operates on-demand microtransit in three zones within the county, offering one-way rides on shuttles for $2.50. People can request door-to-door rides within a zone or to destinations within 1 to 2 miles outside the zone. If approved, Cobb proposes expanding this service and making it available throughout the county in 14 different zones. Microtransit services operate akin to Uber or Lyft and can carry multiple passengers at a time.

Gwinnett: Ride Gwinnett operates on-demand microtransit in three zones, for $3 per one-way, door-to-door rides anywhere within the zone. If the transit referendum passes, Gwinnett will implement 27 microtransit zones in 10 years, covering the entire county.

Enhanced local bus services

Cobb: The county proposes increasing the frequency of local bus routes from every hour to every half hour and would introduce an additional local route. CobbLinc’s operating hours would also extend, with buses running from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.

The county also proposes adding benches, lighting and covered shelters at various existing bus stops.

Gwinnett: Gwinnett will reconfigure its existing bus routes, expanding their reach overall, and extend operating hours to offer Sunday service for the first time. There will be a total of 18 bus routes, with buses arriving every 15 to 30 minutes. The county will also upgrade local stops and improve bike and pedestrian access to them.

Transit facilities

Cobb: The county plans to build or renovate six transit centers. The existing Cumberland and Marietta transit stations will be rebuilt, and other transit stations will be built in south, north and east Cobb. Each of the stations will allow riders to transfer routes.

Credit: NATRICE MILLER

Gwinnett: A large transit transfer facility with an indoor waiting area is already under construction near the Gwinnett Place Mall. The county would build another one in Lawrenceville and would also construct small and medium transfer facilities around Gwinnett. The small facilities would have bus shelters, real-time updates, security cameras, lighting and benches. The medium facilities would also have bus loops, restrooms and part-time security staff.

Airport shuttles

Cobb: No bus or shuttle service would be offered but the proposal would kickstart planning efforts on a connection between Cumberland and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Additional funding would be required to begin services.

Gwinnett: The county would operate two routes to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. One would leave from the I-985 park-and-ride lot in northern Gwinnett, while another would leave from Snellville in southern Gwinnett.

Transit-supportive projects

Cobb: The county’s plans would dedicate MSPLOST revenue toward several projects designed to improve access to transit, such as sidewalks, trails, pedestrian bridges and bike lanes. Additionally, the plans call for road widenings, realignments and restriping designed to make roadways safer. $1 billion is budgeted.

Gwinnett: Roads, sidewalks, trails and pedestrian bridges are already funded by a separate penny sales tax for capital projects that voters most recently renewed two years ago. The transit referendum would not provide any additional money for these projects.