Tim Lee: 'We need alternative transportation to be competitive'

Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee has hitched his caboose to light rail calling it “a good idea” for Cobb county's future.

At a meeting of the Smyrna Rotary Club on Tuesday, Lee outlined his support for the 12.8-mile, $857 million light rail project that would connect the Cumberland-Galleria area to MARTA’s Arts Center Station in Midtown. The proposed light rail line made it onto the Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable executive committee’s master list of transportation projects last month. The list will be finalized by an executive committee vote on Oct. 15.

Lee explained that connecting the Cumberland-Galleria area to Midtown opens transportation gateways for what he considers to be the future of Cobb County: the US Highway 41 and I-75 corridor between the Cumberland area and Kennesaw State University.

“So I’m in a position now here in 2011 that if we were to go forward with this as we’re currently projected, we could have light rail within eight years from the Arts Station to Cumberland and light rail to the Kennesaw State University campus and beyond in 15 years,” he said. “Way ahead of what I think population growth will eventually occur and be ready with the infrastructure in place.”

The chairman said that in order to stay competitive with other markets in the region like Raleigh and Tampa, Cobb has to address its transportation issues.

“If you look at KSU, Acworth, Smyrna, Marietta, and all the cities and jobs located up and down the corridor, it only makes sense that transportation options be available to them as we develop that corridor over the next 20 years,” Lee said. “So I recommended that we look at putting in transportation and it’s something that’s been talked about for 10 years. It’s not a new idea.”

Some have suggested that a light rail line stretching along the northern arc of I-285 from Cumberland-Galleria to Perimeter Mall would be more beneficial to Cobb commuters. But Lee explained that this was not a viable option because of the criteria set by the state legislature.

“Well the problem is going back to the criteria of the project that’s on the table,’’ he explained. “To address the problem from Cumberland to Perimeter and Perimeter to Cumberland, it has not moved along enough to be delivered in 10 years, which by the way is another criteria,” he said. “You couldn’t be on the (final) list unless you were deliverable at least 80 percent within the 10 years of the tax period. So that project got set aside although it is a big problem.”

Lee went on to explain that Cobb residents will generate about $1.086 billion in TSPLOST revenue and receive about $984 million for transportation improvements in the county. Cobb commuters will also benefit from the $839 million worth of improvements to infrastructure outside Cobb on I-20, I-285 and Georgia 400.

“So now we’re up to $1.6 billion in direct benefit to Cobb homeowners if you would from a $1.086 billion investment,” he said. “Plus, on top of that, we get 15 percent of all the money back directly to us. So when I said we get another $132 million to spend as we want, now our investment is $1.7 billion on a $1 billion investment. So if we approve this tax, the way it stands on the current project list, we will have invested $1.086 billion and we’ll get a return of $1.7 billion in projects. Pretty good return on investment in 10 years.”

Lee also said that statistically for every dollar spent on transportation improvements, there is a four-dollar return in economic development. Lee estimated that the $1.086 billion in projects would yield $4.5 billion in economic development. This brings the total investment to $6 billion, he said.

As you can see from last night’s transportation open forum in East Cobb, not everyone is as enthusiastic about Cobb’s transportation future as is the chairman.

And don’t forget that Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) and Representatives Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna) and David Wilkerson (D-Austell) at Brawner Hall Thursday, Sept. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Cobb Department of Transportation Director Faye DiMassimo will give a presentation on the Transportation Investment Act project list and residents will then be able to ask questions about the projects and provide input.