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Cobb County proposes cutting commuter routes 100, 101 and 102; county cites regional coordination and budget limits
Summary
CobbDOT presented a proposal to remove commuter routes 100, 101 and 102, citing regional reconfiguration of express service, sustained ridership decline and local funding limits. Staff said a Title VI service equity analysis found no disparate impact or disproportionate burden; alternatives include ATL express route 44, Route 10 and Rapid 10.
Cobb County Department of Transportation staff on May 6 presented a proposal to remove commuter routes 100, 101 and 102 and replace or offset service through regional express and existing local routes, saying the changes respond to lower commuter demand and regional planning.
Morgan Simmons, deputy director with the Department of Transportation for Cobb County, said the proposed change follows a regional review of express commuter service and the county’s own ridership declines. “Transit service can be implemented if demand increases,” Simmons said, adding that any reinstatement would require identified funding and approval by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners.
The commuter routes targeted for removal operate weekday peak trips between Cobb County park‑and‑ride locations and MARTA rail stations. CobbDOT described route 100 as serving Busby Park‑and‑Ride to MARTA Civic Center, route 101 from the Marietta Transfer Center to MARTA rail, and route 102 from a park‑and‑ride to Arts Center MARTA Station. Staff said those commuter routes operate primarily during weekday AM and PM peaks with limited stops and headways depending on the trip.
CobbDOT presented the Title VI service equity analysis framework it uses — a 25% cumulative threshold comparing minority and low‑income population shares within a quarter‑mile of stops — and reported the analysis found no disparate impact on minority populations and no disproportionate burden on low‑income populations for the combined commuter removal proposal. Simmons said each commuter route has lower proportions of minority persons compared with the existing service area on average, and the cumulative impact was below the 25% threshold.
Officials said the proposal aligns with a regional reconfiguration of express service (staff used the acronym ACL/ATL in the presentation) and the approved ATL express route 44 that CobbDOT staff described as providing weekday peak service between Hickory Grove Park‑and‑Ride, Towne Center (near Busby), Civic Center MARTA Station and Arts Center MARTA Station. Simmons and others noted existing local alternatives: Route 10 and Rapid 10 operate between Marietta/Busby and Arts Center with all‑day or high‑frequency weekday service.
Theo Lettman, transit division manager, said extending Rapid 10 up to Hickory Grove Park‑and‑Ride would increase trip length because Rapid 10’s round trip currently takes “about a hundred and 40 minutes,” and that CobbDOT can study feasibility if requested.
Outreach and next steps: CobbDOT posted the commuter service equity analysis April 10, held a public hearing April 22, ran in‑person meetings (April 14 and April 24 for commuter outreach) and hosted the virtual meeting on May 6. Public comment is open through May 9; staff said it will include comments in the final report to the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, which is expected to consider the proposals in May. If the board approves the changes, staff said they would go into effect in June.
How to comment: email cobblink@cobbcounty.org to submit comments before May 9.
