EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series to educate Cobb voters prior to the transit tax referendum that will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
As residents, activists and politicians debate whether Cobb County should raise its sales tax by 1% to fund public transit, ridership on the county’s existing bus system has emerged as a major theme of the argument.
References to “empty buses” are made especially by conservatives and others opposed to the 30-year tax, which would increase the county sales tax from 6% to 7%. Supporters have countered by saying a greatly enhanced system would attract more riders.
“They’re running less than half full,” said Ginny Choate of east Cobb, who opposes the transit tax, at a recent public meeting.
If approved, the Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (M-SPLOST) would collect $11 billion to construct 108 miles of rapid bus routes, half a dozen transit centers and a countywide system of on-demand “microtransit” service.
As voters decide whether to vote for the tax, the MDJ took a deep dive into how Cobb’s existing transit system is used, and how that could change under a new system, by analyzing data and speaking with transit tax supporters and opponents, county staff, transit experts, bus riders and drivers.
CobbLinc buses, though not empty, have gotten emptier every year from 2013 to 2022, according to data submitted by the county to the federal government.
From 2013 to 2022, CobbLinc’s annual ridership has declined by 73%….
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