Cobb County 2030 Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP)

Cobb County 2030 Comprehensive 

Transportation Plan (CTP) 

Public Information Meeting 

January 24, 2008

Purpose of CTP 

• Identifies long-range multimodal transportation 

needs countywide through 2030 

• Recommendations include roadway, freight, 

transit, bicycle and pedestrian solutions 

• Compares needs against funding assumptions 

to develop strategic vision for implementation 

• Serves as a transportation planning “platform” 

upon which future detailed project concept 

development efforts will build 

Cobb County Comprehensive Transportation Plan

Study Background 

• 2-year effort 

• Interjurisdictional, including Cobb’s 

unincorporated areas and 6 municipalities 

• Analysis reported for 4 “planning areas” 

encompassing entire county 

• 2 primary study parts: Transportation elements 

of DCA Comprehensive Plans and enhanced 

countywide multimodal recommendations 

• Planning “horizon” of 2030 


Coordination and Outreach 

• Project Management Team (PMT) 

– Representatives from County, cities, ARC and GDOT 

– 12 meetings over the course of the study 

• Stakeholder Coordinating Committee (SCC) 

– Representatives from public agencies and private organizations 

– Appointed by each County Commissioner and municipality 

– 7 meetings (3/06, 6/06, 9/06, 1/07, 5/07, 8/07, 10/07) 

• Cobb Paulding Working Group (CPWG) 

– Specific focus on traffic within western Cobb and Paulding County impact 

– Representatives selected by Cobb County, Paulding County and the City of 

Marietta 

– 6 meetings (10/06, 1/07, 5/07, 8/07, 10/07, 12/07) 

• Special briefings conducted for municipalities and CIDs as requested 

throughout study duration 


Public Involvement 

• Public involvement meetings 

– 5 rounds (4/06, 8/06, 2/07, 10-11/07, 1/08) 

– 628 attendees from first 4 rounds 

• Study website (www.cobbdot.org/ctp) 

• Newsletters (4) 

• Fact sheets, press releases and meeting flyers 

• Stakeholder interviews (52 community leaders) 

• Surveys (1000 random phone interviews) 

• Contact database (600) 


Technical Process 

• Accepted methodologies and analyses used to 

ensure compatibility with regional planning 

processes 

• Regional model adapted to provide greater 

Cobb specific detail on travel patterns and 

volumes 

• Cost estimates and funding assumptions based 

on local, regional and state sources and tools 


Project Identification & Analysis Process 

Travel Demand Model 

Results 

(2030 E+C) 

Safety Data 

Transit Propensity 

Evaluation 

Other Plans 

Potential Improvement 

Options 

Projects Organized by: 

•Mode 

•Corridors 

•Plan Area 

•Connections w/other 

Projects 

•Model/Off Model 

Stakeholders & 

CPWG 

Public Involvement 

Activities 

Project Satisfies 

Existing & Future 

Need 

Project Does 

Not Meet 

Identified Need 

No Further 

Consideration 

Staff & Agency Input 

NEEDS BASED PLAN 

Elected Officials 

Field Observation 

Project Prioritization and 

Development of Financially 

Constrained Program of Projects 

(See Figure 1B) 


Recommendations 

• Multimodal Projects 

– Roadway 

– Transit 

– Multi use trails 

– Pedestrian facilities 

• Policies and Procedures 

– Roadway 

– Access management 

– Freight truck routes 

– Travel demand management (TDM) 

– Bicycle, pedestrian and multi use trail facilities 


Factors Considered in Project Selection 

• Congestion 

– Overcapacity 

– Daily Delay 

– Travel Time Index (TTI) 

• Safety 

• Thoroughfare Plan Classification 

• Capital/Operating Costs per Rider 

• Potential Community and Economic Impacts 


Roadway Improvements 

• 137 total 

– Widenings = 50 

– New roadways, extensions/connectors = 9 

– Major intersection improvements (grade separation, 

realignment, new interchange) = 28 

– Operational (access management, shoulder widening, 

corridor improvements) = 30 

– Operational intersection improvements (turn lanes, 

signalization) = 36 

*Some projects include two types of improvements (e.g., widening and major intersection improvements) 


Transit Improvements 

• 17 total 

– US 41 high capacity transit (feasibility study) 

– Express bus service = 5 

– Limited stop bus service = 5 

– Local bus service = 3 

– Circulator shuttle service = 3 

• Assume associated feeder routes and park and 

ride lots are in place as appropriate 


Trail & Pedestrian Improvements 

• Multi use trails = 44 total (~168 linear miles) 

• Pedestrian facilities = 80 total (~ 41 linear miles) 

– Safety & key corridor = 34 

– LCI connectivity = 11 

– School/activity center buffer = 35 

• Assume roadway improvements will incorporate 

bicycle/pedestrian facilities and trail connections as 

appropriate 

• In addition to, not in lieu of, ongoing efforts to expand the 

pedestrian/bicycle/trail network 


Recommendations by Planning Area 

Project Type 

Northwest 

(Acworth & 

Kennesaw) 

Northeast 

Southeast 

(Marietta & 

Smyrna) 

Southwest 

(Austell & Powder 

Springs) 

Roadway 

40 

42 

43 

30 

Transit 

8 

5 

7 

6 

Trail 

9 

5 

20 

18 

Pedestrian 

14 

6 

32 

34 

TOTAL 

71 

58 

102 

88 

*Some projects are included in more than one planning area 


System Performance Results 

Performance Measure 

2005 

Base Scenarios 

2030 E+C* 

2030 Needs 

Based Plan 

Travel Time Index 

1.43 

1.73 

1.55 

>6 Hrs of Congestion 

(% of Lane-Miles) 

1% 

5% 

2% 

2-6 Hrs of Congestion 

% of Lane-Miles) 

18% 

27% 

20% 

Access Management Policies 

• Continued adherence to development standards 

• Formation of access review committee 

• Completion of corridor specific access management 

plans, beginning with arterials 

• Required access management plan as part of concept 

development process for arterial and major collector 

widenings and upgrades 

• Access Management Overlay Districts (AMODs) 

• Appropriate access management applications based 

upon functional classification typology 


Truck Freight Policies 

• Land use compatibility 

• Operations and design 

• Maintenance 

• Intermodal facilities 


Travel Demand Management Policies 

• TMA (Transportation Management Association) 

expansion and development 

• Required TDM plans for new large land 

developments 

• CIDs critical to TDM implementation 


Bicycle, Pedestrian & Trail Policies 

• Strategically target investments to most suitable areas 

• Require roadway projects to include pedestrian and 

bicycle facilities as appropriate 

• Update zoning code to require pedestrian and bicycle 

facilities and amenities in commercial and mixed use 

developments 

• Establish guidelines for ensuring connectivity between 

neighborhoods and adjacent land uses 

• Promote education, enforcement and awareness 

programs to encourage increased use of and safety for 

bicycling and walking 


Estimated Costs by Category 

• Roadway = $4,504,029,000 

– By System 

• On System (US and State Route) Improvements = $3,532,576,000 

• Off System (County and Local Road) Improvements = $971,453,000 

– By Type 

• Capacity Improvements = $3,274,872,000 

• Major Intersection Improvements = $798,344,000 

• Operational Improvements = $430,813,000 

• Transit = $1,132,803,000 (Capital & Operating) 

• Multi Use Trails = $168,856,000 

• Pedestrian = $38,603,000 

– Safety & key corridor = $18,103,000 

– LCI connectivity = $7,330,000 

– School & activity center buffer = $13,170,000 

• Total Needs Based Plan Cost = $5,844,291,000 

*Project costs escalated to the CTP midpoint year (12 years) to account for inflation 


Use of Plan into the Future 

• To move specific transportation projects forward 

(prioritization, funding, detailed concept definition) 

• For project inclusion in ARC’s Regional Transportation 

Plan (must be drawn from and supported by the 

countywide CTP) 

• As a staff resource during interjurisdictional and 

intercounty coordination efforts 

• To ensure land use / transportation connectivity and 

shifting travel behaviors are monitored by Plan updates 

(every 3-5 years) 


How to Comment? 

• Review the draft CTP 

– Online at www.cobbdot.org/ctp 

– Cobb Regional Libraries – Central, Mountain View, South Cobb and 

West Cobb 

– Cobb County Government Building on Marietta Square, 3rd Floor and 

Communications Office 

– Cobb DOT offices on County Services Parkway 

– City Hall in Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and 

Smyrna 

• Provide your written comments by February 5 

– Prior to leaving tonight 

– Laraine Vance, Planning Division Manager, Cobb DOT – 

transportation@cobbcounty.org, 1890 County Services Pkwy, Marietta, 

30080 

– Carla Bamatraf, Study Consultant Team, Carter & Burgess – 

carla.bamatraf@c-b.com, 1718 Peachtree St, Ste 400, Atlanta, 30309

Cobb County 2030 Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP)

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