As public transit in South Cobb is expected to take a step forward with the creation of the South Cobb Transit Center, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens has been appointed to the Cobb County Transit Technical Advisory Committee.

He attended the inaugural meeting of the TAC last month, and is expected to be active in the South Cobb Transit Center Selection Study.

The South Cobb Transit Center will be a newly added transfer point for CobbLinc service, joining the Marietta and Cumberland centers, both of which are being considered for relocation and improvements.

A public workshop for the new South Cobb Transfer Center will be held tomorrow, Tuesday July 18, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Connection Pointe Church, 888 East-West Connector, Austell GA 30106.

Owens is entering this process at the beginning of Phase 2 of the site selection study, which will analyze potential sites.

According to the announcement of the appointment of Mayor Owens, “The proposed South Cobb Transit Center will not only enhance connections to the CobbLinc network of public transportation services, but also improve accessibility to regional and local multimodal transportation options. This project signifies a significant step forward in expanding and modernizing transportation infrastructure within Cobb County.”

“I am thrilled to be a part of the effort to bring a transit hub into Mableton, said Owens. “Mableton and the entire South Cobb Area have a significant need to expand public transit options.”

“This is a great start as the establishment of a South Cobb Transit Center will lay the foundation for improving the quality of life for many people in our city and the surrounding areas,” he said.

Proposed changes to the multimodal transit centers

The Cobb County Department of Transportation and CobbLinc are planning the development of three multimodal transit centers.

The documents for the plan state that the purpose is in response to the needs of current and future transit ridership and operational demands.

The current transfer facilities at Cumberland and Marietta will be expanded and relocated, and a third, new facility will be built to serve operations in South Cobb.

The current Cumberland Transit Center is on Cumberland Boulevard across from Cumberland Mall, and just east of the intersection with Cumberland Parkway.

The Marietta Transit Center is on South Marietta Parkway just east of Victory Drive.

This project is part of Cobb County’s Cobb Forward Comprehensive Transportation Plan for 2050.

A Phase 1 Study Update presented to Cobb’s Transit Advisory Board on March 27, 2023, described the reasons for the proposed changes to the transit centers.

The changes are to:

• Address operational issues
• Allow expansion of planned services and new higher capacity transit modes (Cobb Forward CTP)
• Better proximity to key transit corridors and regional transit connections
• Improve rider experience and provide needed space/amenities for riders and operators

For the big picture on this project …

For more information on how the transit centers fit into the larger plans for public transit in Cobb County, visit the CobbForward Comprehensive Transportation Plan resource website, the Cobb DOT transportation planning page, the CobbLinc page, and the Cobb DOT web page.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) also has resources related to transportation planning in the region.