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The Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (MSPLOST), appearing on November’s General Election ballot, proposes a 1-cent sales tax to fund, expand, and enhance Cobb County’s transit services over the next 30 years. This initiative seeks to improve the county's transit infrastructure with a focus on safety, flexibility, and reliability tailored to meet the specific needs of our growing community and local economy.

Explore our site to learn about the proposed MSPLOST projects, get familiar with the ballot language, understand potential impacts to our community, and discover how you can participate in the process.

• Community-Tailored Transit: Supports Cobb’s growing population and thriving local economy with mobility options made for Cobb County that offer safe, flexible, and reliable service options.
• Expanding Opportunities: Expands mobility and access to jobs and key destinations throughout the county.
• Inclusive Access: Focuses on increasing access to vulnerable and transit dependent communities, currently underserved by the existing system.
• Economic Vitality: Implements transit investments to sustain and support Cobb’s current and future economy.
• Countywide Service Enhancements: Enhances the transit customer experience with investments to increase fast, safe, and reliable service options—connecting more people to more destinations.
• Planned Investment: Charts an incremental and sustainable 30-year investment, supported and aligned with approved comprehensive planning efforts.

Visit our Story Map to learn more.

Current CobbLinc Transit Service	Expanded CobbLinc Transit Service (If the MSPLOST is approved)
11 Local Routes 3 Commuter Routes 1 Rapid Route 3 Flex On-demand Zones 2 Transfer Centers Connections to 4 MARTA stations	12 Local Routes 3 Commuter Routes 3 Rapid Routes 3 Arterial Rapid Transit (ART) Routes 6 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Routes New Countywide Microtransit Service 6 Transit Centers Connections to 4 MARTA stations
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Learn more about CobbLinc

The MSPLOST allows Cobb residents to consider a dedicated funding mechanism that enables the county’s infrastructure to keep pace with current and future mobility needs, supports business growth and resiliency, reduces traffic congestion, and promotes environmental sustainability. 

Additional dedicated funding will enable the expansion of flexible transit options that are tailored to the community’s needs. These potential options listed below include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Arterial Rapid Transit (ART), Commuter routes, and Rapid routes serving city centers and high-density corridors as well as Local routes connecting some of the smaller communities. Microtransit will operate in less populated areas, providing essential transit for seniors, vulnerable populations, and zero-car households.

If the MSPLOST is passed by voters, Cobb residents, employees, and visitors will begin to see improvements starting in the first year. To learn more about the roll-out of the system, click here to see what you can expect in the 5 Year Network, 10 Year Network, and Complete MSPLOST Network.

• 73 Miles of Bus Rapid Transit providing rail-like operations in mostly dedicated transit lanes with high-quality stations and high-frequency service; serving Cobb’s most populated corridors and activity centers and connecting to nearby rail transit stations outside the county
• 34 Miles of Arterial Rapid Transit with improvements to bypass congestion at intersections on some of Cobb’s well-traveled roadways
• 325 Miles of Expanded Local, Commuter, and Rapid Transit Routes serving new parts of the county not currently covered by fixed route transit, primarily in the southern and northern cities, as well as a potential future circulator service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
• 6 New/Enhanced Transit Facilities that serve as hubs for different connecting routes, including Cumberland, Marietta, South Cobb, North Cobb, East Cobb, and Riverside South Cobb
• 100% Countywide Microtransit coverage that provides on-demand transit service primarily to residential areas without fixed route service, within one of 14 zones or connecting to nearby fixed route transit
• Paratransit Service for individuals with mobility challenges within ¾ mile of all fixed route transit service complemented by a Transportation Voucher Program beyond the paratransit boundaries
• $1 Billion Investment in Transit Supportive Projects that includes multiuse trails and sidewalks providing access to transit and roadway improvement projects that allow transit to move more efficiently
• Transportation Technology Funding to improve the user experience for all riders

Compare different modes of transit

View more project details

Cobb County is growing fast. According to the 2020 US Census, our county is home to 766,149 residents and 415,121 jobs. But by 2050, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) expects those numbers to rise to 914,448 residents and 495,388 jobs.

Below are some key figures:

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Cobb’s future is guided by multiple countywide planning efforts including the Comprehensive Transportation Plan, CobbForward, and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. These countywide plans, that involved significant community input and engagement, outline future options with projected service enhancements occurring within the first 5 to 10 years. If the MSPLOST is approved by voters, the project list would guide any future transit efforts.

The MSPLOST language, as approved by Cobb County Board of Commissioner (June 2024), will appear on November’s General Election ballot as follows:

Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Cobb County for a period of time not to exceed thirty years and for the raising of funds for transit and transit supportive projects? These projects will be as defined in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-269.40, and will be inclusive of the approved project list within the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority Regional Transit Plan (ARTP).

If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of Cobb County in the principal amount not to exceed $950,000,000 for the above purpose.

General Election Key Dates

Early Voting Period: October 15 – November 1

General Election: November 5, 2024

Be sure to visit cobbcounty.org/elections for additional voter information, key dates and election details.

Funding Cobb County's transit future is on the ballot this November. It is important for residents to understand how our transit system is currently funded and the potential changes that the MSPLOST initiative could bring.

Currently, CobbLinc is funded primarily through local property tax revenues, with additional funding from federal sources, grants, and fares collected from customers. If Cobb County residents vote in favor of the proposed MSPLOST referendum in November, MSPLOST could generate an estimated $14.5 billion.*

*This sum, derived from a combination of federal funding, MSPLOST contributions, and increased fares due to higher ridership, could expand transit services in our community.

If the MSPLOST is approved by voters, the MSPLOST will ensure that the cost of Cobb County Transit is shared by all consumers who purchase goods within the county. This shift would distribute the funding responsibility across all residents, businesses, and non-residents (including commuters and tourists). Additionally, increased transit funding provided through dedicated financial streams like the proposed MSPLOST enhances Cobb County’s ability to secure matching funds, making us more competitive for grant awards.

If the MSPLOST is rejected by voters, Cobb County will, for the foreseeable future, continue to operate CobbLinc with local property taxes as the primary revenue source, supplemented by standard federal funds and customer fares.

Understanding these funding options is crucial as residents consider the future of Cobb County’s transit services.