Cobb County Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update 2040 oharacterismmunity Encs‐ Ggagementrowth Trends COUNTYWIDE EXISTING CONDITIONS & NEEDS ASSESSMENT ARCADIS May 2014 Introduc on Community Engagement Growth Trends History Methods of Outreach Exisng and Forecast Populaon 6 10 18 CCo Regional Context CTP Commiees Age Distribuon & G 7 14 20 Report Goals and Structure Guiding Principles Race and Ethnicity 7 16 22 Study Area Educaonal Aainment 8 23 Households 25 Income 27 Exisng and Forecast Employment 29 2 Economic Condions Places Transportaon Exisng Studies Policies Residenal Market Condions Exisng Land Use Travel Paerns Planned and Programmed System Adequacy in the oharacterismmunity32 Encs‐ 44 70 Improvements Event of Natural Disaster 160 176 GgagementrowthRetail Trends Market Condi ons Future Land Use Vehicular Facilies 34 46 78 Comprehensive Plans Development Policies and 160 the Transportaon System Office Market Condions Interacon between Land Human Services Transportaon 176 36 Use and Transportaon 101 Livable Centers Iniave 46 Studies Transportaon Demand Industrial Market Condions Freight 168 Management 37 Adequacy of Transportaon 104 177 Facilies to Serve Land Uses Other Relevant Plans and Current Funding Environment 62 Bike and Pedestrian Facilies Studies 38 116 168 Unified Growth Policy Map 64 Transit 134 Developments of Regional Impact Parking Facilies 67 158 Airport 158 3 Introduc on Community Engagement Growth Trends Map Directory 1. Study Area 9 19. Residence Locaons 73 CCo 2. Exisng Land Use– Cobb County 48 20. Crash Hotspot Locaons 84 & G 3. Future Land Use—Cobb County 49 21. Congested Corridors and V/C Raos 85 4. Exisng Land Use– Acworth 50 22. Congested Corridors and Travel Time Index 86 5. Future Land Use– Acworth 51 23. Regional Thoroughfare Network 87 6. Exisng Land Use– Austell 52 24. Roadway Funconal Classificaon 88 7. Future Land Use– Austell 53 25. Number of Lanes 89 8. Exisng Land Use– Kennesaw 54 26. Pavement Condions 90 9. Future Land Use– Kennesaw 55 27. Average Annual Daily Traffic 91 10. Exisng Land Use– Mariea 56 28. Bridge Inventory 100 11. Future Land Use– Mariea 57 29. Freight Generators 106 12. Exisng Land Use– Smyrna 58 30. Regional Freight Corridors 107 13. Future Land Use– Smyrna 59 31. Heavy Truck Crashes (Heat Map) 110 14. Exisng Land Use– Powder Springs 60 32. Fatal Truck Crash Locaons 111 15. Future Land Use– Powder Springs 61 33. Rail Lines and Grade Intersecons 114 16. Unified Growth Policy Map 65 34. Vehicle‐ Train Crash Locaons 115 17. Developments of Regional Impact 68 35. Exisng and Planned Sidewalks 118 18. Job Locaons 72 36. Exisng On‐Street Bicycle Facilies 119 4 Economic Condions Places Transportaon Exisng Studies Policies Appendix Directory oharacterismmunity37. Exis Encsng and‐ Programmed Mul‐Use Trails 122 Appendix A: Listening Tour Summary 180 Ggagementrowth38. TrendsSidewalk Coverage in Low Income Areas 123 Appendix B: Public Outreach 194 39. Sidewalk Coverage in Proximity to Schools 128 Appendix C: Stakeholder and Technical Commiee Meeng Summary 198 40. Sidewalk Coverage Needs Areas 129 Appendix D: Congested Intersecon Screening Process 212 41. Trail Connecon Needs 133 Appendix E: Bridge Data 214 42. Local Bus Routes 136 Appendix F: Transit Data 216 43. Express Bus Routes 137 Appendix G: Summary of LCI Studies and Supplemental Studies 220 44. Populaon Density 144 Appendix H: Public Opinion Surveys 226 45. Employment Density 145 Appendix I: Market Assessment Memorandum 242 46. Zero Car Households 148 47. Elderly Persons 149 48. Low Income Persons 152 49. Minority Persons 153 50. RTP Projects 162 51. SPLOST Tier 1 Projects I 164 52. SPLOST Tier 1 Projects II 166 53. LCI Studies 170 5 Introduc on Community Engagement Growth Trends INTRODUCTION geson, and encouraging alternave modes of transportaon. Cobb County and each of the municipalies have completed a Comprehen‐ The Cobb County Comprehensive Transportaon Plan (CTP) Update 2040 is CCo sive Plan, outlining each of their plans for accommodang future growth being developed cooperavely with Cobb County and the six cies under the over a 20‐year planning horizon. Each Comprehensive Plan includes a Short‐ & G Comprehensive Transportaon Planning Program iniated by the Atlanta Term Work Program that idenfies near‐term projects and programs to im‐ Regional Commission (ARC) to encourage counes and their municipalies to plement, including transportaon projects. The CTP and the Comprehensive work together to develop long‐range transportaon plans that serve as input Plans are designed to complement each other’s goals, policies, and programs into the regional planning process and plans. The CTP will provide a funding for future development and the needed infrastructure to support it. framework and a priorized project list as the foundaon for transportaon programming and policy decisions. Finally, it will be responsive to cizen History needs and concerns while also contribung to the advancement of the re‐ Cobb County was created on December 3, 1832 by the Georgia General As‐ gion’s vision for transportaon improvement. sembly. It was the 81st county in Georgia and named for Judge Thomas Willis Cobb County 2030 CTP was completed in 2008 and was developed as part of Cobb, who served as a U.S. Senator, state congressman and Superior Court a comprehensive approach to addressing transportaon issues and invest‐ Judge in the early 19th century. Its county seat and largest city is Mariea, ments in the county. An objecve of the CTP Update 2040 is to develop a which is located in the center of the county. transportaon plan that reflects the future vision of the county for an inte‐ As of the 2010 Census, the county populaon was 688,078. Cobb is situated grated and balanced transportaon system. immediately outside the northwest city limits of Atlanta, and is connected to The Cobb County CTP Update 2040 seeks to define guiding principles in unin‐ the metro area by interstate highways I‐285, I‐75, I‐20, and I‐575. In the last corporated Cobb County and the six municipalies: Austell, Acworth, Kenne‐ three decades, Cobb was one of the fastest‐growing areas of the U.S. saw, Mariea, Smyrna, and Powder Springs. Furthermore, it strives to im‐ In the 1960s and 1970s, Cobb transformed from rural to suburban. In the prove quality of life for all cizens through mobility improvements including 1980s, Cobb was at the peak of its growth. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, increasing capacity in growing urban and rural areas, migang traffic con‐ Cobb's demographics began to change and become more diverse. Middle‐ 6 Economic Condions Places Transportaon Exisng Studies Policies class African‐Americans and Russian, Bosnian, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, roadway network in the county is comprised of freeways, arterials, and col‐ oharacterismmunityMexican Enandcs ‐ Central American immigrants moved to older suburbs in south lectors. Freeways include four major interstates I‐75, I‐285, I‐575, and I‐20, and west Cobb. and highways such as Cobb Parkway (US 41). Ggagementrowth Trends Overall, the development in Cobb has been a suburban development paern Did you know: characterized by segregated land uses, relavely low density, and a lack of a The U.S. Census ranks Cobb County as the transportaon network that serves mulple modes. This has resulted in most‐educated in the state of Georgia and heavily automobile‐dependent communies. However, various planning efforts over the years by communies and municipalies have sought to 12th among all counes in the U.S. change that and provide transportaon alternaves and mixed‐use develop‐ ment paern where appropriate. These planning efforts include small area Cobb County possesses a strong economy. There are more than 30,000 busi‐ studies such as master plans and Livable Centers Iniave (LCI) studies, over‐ nesses licensed1 in Cobb including hundreds of internaonal firms and four lay districts, tax allocaon districts, and streetscape enhancement projects. Fortune 500 companies (The Home Depot, Coca‐Cola Enterprises, Genuine Addionally, consistent investments in the transportaon system have Parts (NAPA) and First Data). According to the U.S. Census, Cobb has consist‐ sought to keep pace with the county’s rapid growth. ently ranked among the top 100 wealthiest counes in the United States. Cobb has maintained a Triple‐AAA credit rang for 11 consecuve years. Report Goals and Structure Regional Context The vision for the Cobb CTP was developed based on the input of govern‐ Cobb County is bordered by Paulding County, Bartow County, Cherokee ment officials from the county, each of the six municipalies, and stakehold‐ County, Fulton County, and Douglas County and is depicted in Figure 1: Study ers, and validated through extensive public outreach. It was determined that Area on page 9. Cobb has an extensive roadway system that connects with the framework of the study should be rooted in guiding principles, and that the regional transportaon network of major freeways and interstates. The these principles shall lead and shape the study, projects, and priories. The Cobb County CTP’s guiding principles include: 1. Cobb County Business License Department. January 22,2014. 7 Introduc on Community Engagement Growth Trends 1. Maximize Performance of Transportaon System ning efforts. 2. Improve Access and Manage Traffic Congeson Although the authority of Cobb County to implement projects generally ends CCo 3. Achieve Traveler Safety and Security at the county line, transportaon condions and future plans in neighboring 4. Drive Economic Compeveness counes may affect transportaon