Cobb Community Transit

Last updated
CobbLinc
SloganWe're going your way
Founded July 1989
Headquarters 463 Commerce Park Dr.
Marietta, Georgia
Service area Cobb County (Some Stops in Fulton)
Service type transit bus, paratransit, express bus service
Routes 17
Daily ridership 10,392 (2005 est.)
Annual ridership 4,598,500 (2011) [1]
Fuel type
Operator Cobb County
Website http://www.cobblinc.org

CobbLinc (formerly Cobb Community Transit) is the bus public transit system in Cobb County, Georgia, one of metro Atlanta's three most populous suburban counties. (The others are Gwinnett County, which operates Gwinnett County Transit and Clayton County, which formerly operated Clayton County C-TRAN but is now served by MARTA.)

Bus large road vehicle for transporting people

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry many passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-deck rigid bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are used for longer-distance services. Many types of buses, such as city transit buses and inter-city coaches, charge a fare. Other types, such as elementary or secondary school buses or shuttle buses within a post-secondary education campus do not charge a fare. In many jurisdictions, bus drivers require a special licence above and beyond a regular driver's licence.

Cobb County, Georgia County in Georgia, United States

Cobb County is a suburban county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2017, the population was 755,754, making it Georgia's third most-populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta.

Suburb Human settlement that is part of or near to a larger city

A suburb is a mixed-use or residential area, existing either as part of a city or urban area or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city. In most English-speaking countries, suburban areas are defined in contrast to central or inner-city areas, but in Australian English and South African English, suburb has become largely synonymous with what is called a "neighborhood" in other countries and the term extends to inner-city areas. In some areas, such as Australia, India, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and a few U.S. states, new suburbs are routinely annexed by adjacent cities. In others, such as Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, and much of the United States, many suburbs remain separate municipalities or are governed as part of a larger local government area such as a county.

Contents

Operation

CCT and CobbLinc buses at a park and ride Parked Cobb Community Transit buses, April 2017 1.jpg
CCT and CobbLinc buses at a park and ride

CobbLinc began operations in July 1989 (as Cobb Community Transit) and has had relatively strong ridership (3,793,253 total passengers in 2005) since then. The hub is along South Marietta Parkway in Marietta, just west of the former Southern Polytechnic State University now the Marietta campus of Kennesaw State University. Routes connect to the most populated areas of the county, including Mableton and Kennesaw. Express routes also operate down to Atlanta, connecting with MARTA at the Arts Center station. Transfers are free between MARTA and CCT, though both transit agencies charge the same fare ($2.50) with a Breeze Card. CobbLinc's annual operating budget is about $12.9 million dollars (2004), from fares and the general county budget, as well as Federal grants.

Marietta, Georgia City in Georgia, United States

Marietta is located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is the county's seat and largest city.

Southern Polytechnic State University

Southern Polytechnic State University was a public, co-educational, state university in Marietta, Georgia, United States approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta. Until 2015, it was an independent part of the University System of Georgia and called itself "Georgia's Technology University."

Mableton, Georgia CDP in Georgia, United States

Mableton is a census-designated place in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, Mableton had a population of 37,115. When Brookhaven became a city in December 2012, Mableton became the largest unincorporated community in Metro Atlanta.

All buses make automatic announcements inside the bus of upcoming stops and major roads, and stop requests from passengers. This is done by pre-recorded voice announcements for the vision-impaired and LED message signs for the hearing-impaired. External announcements are also made by voice, in addition to the normal electronic signs. Some buses also run on compressed natural gas (CNG) rather than diesel.

Light-emitting diode semiconductor light source

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence. The color of the light is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross the band gap of the semiconductor. White light is obtained by using multiple semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device.

Compressed natural gas

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel which can be used in place of gasoline, diesel fuel and propane/LPG. CNG combustion produces fewer undesirable gases than the aforementioned fuels. In comparison to other fuels, natural gas poses less of a threat in the event of a spill, because it is lighter than air and disperses quickly when released. Biomethane – cleaned-up biogas from anaerobic digestion or landfills – can be used.

Diesel fuel liquid fuel used in diesel engines

Diesel fuel in general is any liquid fuel used in diesel engines, whose fuel ignition takes place, without any spark, as a result of compression of the inlet air mixture and then injection of fuel. Diesel engines have found broad use as a result of higher thermodynamic efficiency and thus fuel efficiency. This is particularly noted where diesel engines are run at part-load; as their air supply is not throttled as in a petrol engine, their efficiency still remains very high.

Planning

Along with Gwinnett, Cobb voted against MARTA in the 1970s, and thus was left out of the system. The lack of sales tax revenue from the two counties stunted the growth of MARTA, however the GRTA created by former governor of Georgia Roy Barnes has been seeking to create other solutions, such as possible light rail to Cobb through the Cumberland Mall and Town Center at Cobb areas. Other solutions proposed include special bus-only lanes on Interstate 75, and commuter rail into Cherokee County. A cross-suburb line over to Gwinnett County has also been proposed, intersecting with a future extended MARTA north line between Roswell and Sandy Springs in Fulton County.

A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a governing body directly by a consumer, it is usually called a use tax. Often laws provide for the exemption of certain goods or services from sales and use tax.

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority or GRTA is a government agency in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was set up under former governor of Georgia Roy Barnes, in order to address mobility, air quality and land use and how they relate to the transportation needs of metro Atlanta, including both roads and public transit. It came about in large part because the numerous cities and counties in the region could not effectively work with each other to achieve a comprehensive solution to the area's traffic woes, and increasing summertime smog problems.

Roy Barnes American politician

Roy Eugene Barnes is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th Governor of the U.S. State of Georgia from 1999 to 2003.

2019 Light Rail Proposal

In May 2010 Cobb's Board of Commissioners approved further funding to study a light rail line from the Cumberland/Galleria area to the Town Center/KSU area. If constructed, the line would be approximately 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long with seven stations. The proposed line would be constructed and operational by 2019 with the expectation of nearly 50,000 riders daily by 2025. At each end of the line, a circulator bus system has also been proposed bringing the total expected ridership for the new combined LRT/BRT system to nearly 100,000. The project would be funded and operated through both federal and local sources. As of 2010, it is unclear whether or not the new transit system would be operated by CCT, a new agency, or even another existing agency such as MARTA. [2]

Flex Busses and Shuttles

In 2015, Flex buses were added in Cobb County. They are organized into three zones in Powder Springs and Austell. There is also a Cumberland CID circulator shuttle.

Express

Cobb operates five GRTA Express routes, funded by GRTA. Express route 476 serves Douglas County, Powder Springs and Hiram park and rides. Route 463 serves Douglas County MMTC and West Douglas. Route 480, 483, and 490 serve Town Center. 480 continues to Acworth. 483 and 490 continue to Woodstock, and then 490 continues to Canton.

Shortfalls

CobbLinc generally serves the core portions of the county, and the Six Flags area, with little to no service to the West and East sides. Acworth, as well as the greater northwestern area of the county, lack local service, with only express routes operating out of the newly renovated Acworth Park and Ride lot. East Cobb holds a single local route, route 65. In West Cobb, there are many county-owned facilities, such as the West Cobb Regional Library, West Cobb Aquatic Center and Mountain View Aquatic Center that have no service at all. West Cobb only has three flex zones in the Southwest portion, and one GRTA Express route operated by Cobb County. Other busy throughways that have no service - natural spots for transit corridors - include but are not limited to Dallas Highway (in West Cobb) and the northern end of Cobb Parkway. Other complaints include infrequent service to MARTA stations as well as a complete shutdown of the system every Sunday and on Holidays, as opposed to other regional operators, which operate reduced schedules on these days.

Routes

Most routes begin and end at the Marietta Transfer Center, though several operate from the Cumberland Boulevard Transfer Center.

Local

Georgia State Route 280 highway in Georgia

State route 280 (SR 280) is a generally south-to-north state highway located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It runs from Georgia 139 in western Atlanta to Interstate 75 (I-75) in Marietta. The road has the odd shape of a shepherd's hook.

Six Flags Over Georgia Theme park in Austell, Georgia

Six Flags Over Georgia is a 290-acre (120 ha) theme park located west of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. Featuring characters and themes from a variety of Warner Bros. properties such as Looney Tunes and DC Comics, the park opened to the public in 1967 as the second of three theme parks built by Six Flags. It features 11 roller coasters, including top-ranked Mind Bender and Goliath that have been recognized annually by Amusement Today, and over 30 other rides, shows, and attractions. Hurricane Harbor, a 7-acre (2.8 ha) water park included in the price of admission to the amusement park, was added in 2014.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is an American department store chain with 864 locations in 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. In addition to selling conventional merchandise, J. C. Penney stores often house several leased departments such as Sephora, Seattle's Best Coffee, salons, auto centers, optical centers, portrait studios, and jewelry repair.

Express

Express buses run only during peak hours, and only weekdays. Morning buses run only to Atlanta, afternoon buses only from Atlanta. All buses run via I-75, I-575 and I-20, and charge a fare of three dollars one-way, four for a round trip.

Park and Ride Lots and Transfer Centers

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Ernest W. Barrett American politician

Ernest W. Barrett was the chairman of the county commission in Cobb County, Georgia from 1965 to 1984. Barrett was also a former trustee of Kennesaw State University.

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Ernest W. Barrett Parkway is a major thoroughfare in the northwestern part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, in the north-central part of Cobb County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels from the southeastern edge of Kennesaw to a point north of Marietta, and continues on in both directions under other names. The portion of Barrett Parkway between Interstate 575 (I-575/SR 5) and US 41/SR 3 is designated State Route 5 Connector. The road is named after Ernest W. Barrett, the first chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners in the 1960s, after home rule was enacted under a Georgia State Constitution amendment. The initial portion was constructed through Barrett family land, enabling it to be later sold for major development.

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References

  1. ↑ "2012 Public Transportation Fact Book Appendix B: Transit Agency and Urbanized Area Operating Statistics" (pdf). American Public Transportation Association. February 2012. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  2. ↑ http://dot.cobbcountyga.gov/Planning_Studies/DOT_Visions_Final_May2010.pdf
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