Talks are under way by the Town Center and Cumberland Community Improvement Districts in Cobb County to find federal dollars and get revenue bonds issued by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, but prospects of that campaign are not bright, brokers familiar with the 24.5-mile, 18-station project tell GlobeSt.com on condition of anonymity.
They say the track record of such systems has not been good. Neighborhood opposition previously helped kill a MARTA proposal in DeKalb County. A proposed downtown bus and rail terminal has also been unable to secure funding. The proposed system would provide an alternative to vehicle-clogged Interstate 75.
Both areas proposed to be served by the system already have extensive commercial development. The Cumberland area has 20 million sf of office , while Town Center has more than four million sf in office and 2.3 million sf in industrial.
The $2 billion price tag was set by Mayes, Sudderth & Etheredge Inc., the Marietta, GA-based engineering firm that conducted the $3.8 million. study.
The plan for a New Orleans-like streetcar shuttle that could take commuters from Kennesaw, GA to Midtown in 42 minutes was outlined in the Feb. 22 study.
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