Council Hears Update on Northwest Atlanta Corridor Study

Marietta-based Croy Engineering has been tasked with project management of a transit study that will examine mass transportation options that could improve traffic along the I-75 and U.S. 41 corridors.

The City Council of Kennesaw received an update on the Northwest Atlanta Corridor Alternatives Analysis Study from Cobb DOT at its work session Wednesday night.

Kennesaw–along with the cities of Acworth, Marietta and Smyrna–is one of several partners of the massive region-wide project, which will involve dozens of private companies and beneficiaries, as well as millions of tax dollars.

Faye DiMassimo, Director of Cobb DOT, held the floor for the majority of the meeting and updated the council on the progress of the study, which is estimated to take 18 to 24 months to complete.

DiMassimo said potential benefits of a regional mass transit system include congestion relief on major interstates, particularly I-75, as well as a potential for job growth in accordance with the labor needs. She also said that a mass transit system would make it easier to reach the consumers in all corners of the area.

The alternatives analysis is funded by a $1.36 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Cobb County was one of 21 applicant counties selected from a list of 70 to receive a grant for research.

Beneficiaries of the project include Cobb County, , the Town Center community improvement district and MARTA, among others.

The project will also involve several private companies. While Croy Engineering has been awarded project management, other companies– including Cambridge Systematics and Jacobs Engineering– will be tasked with different segments of the project.

The study is one of over 20 development projects currently under construction and in design in Cobb County. The , which began on July 18, is one of them.