Cobb approves contracts for microtransit expansion

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved four agreements during their meeting Tuesday evening to expand the county’s on-demand microtransit service, although disagreement remains among the commissioners.

The microtransit expansion got the greenlight in August when commissioners voted 3-2 to let the transportation department move forward with expanding the service to northwest Mableton and to create pilot zones in parts of Acworth and Kennesaw.

Board Chair Lisa Cupid and Commissioners Erick Allen and Monique Sheffield, all Democrats, voted in favor of the proposal, while Republican Commissioners Keli Gambrill and JoAnn Birrell voted against.

The microtransit service, known as CobbLinc Go, is operated by Via Transportation and uses minivans that can carry up to five passengers. Riders request the service through an app, similar to services like Uber and Lyft. It’s available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The agreements appeared on the commission’s consent agenda, which passed unanimously, but Gambrill and Birrell noted that they opposed the four agreements related to the microtransit expansion.

During the August meeting where the expansion was approved, Gambrill and Birrell said they felt that transit should be approved by voters through a referendum.

Cobb voters have rejected transit-related proposals in the past, including a proposed Mobility Special Purpose Lost Option Sales Tax that would have funded a countywide microtransit network.

About 62% of voters rejected the proposed $11 billion 30-year transit sales tax in 2024. Earlier this year, Republicans in the General Assembly passed legislation that blocks the county from holding another such referendum until 2032.

Birrell and Gambrill also took issue with the project’s pricing model.

Rides on CobbLinc Go are priced at $2.50 per trip, the same as a bus fare.

During the August meeting where the microtransit expansion was approved, Birrell and Gambrill questioned whether the flat $2.50 CobbLinc Go fare is equitable when some seniors and residents with disabilities rely on a separate voucher program, which Gambrill noted can cost them more.

“It really isn’t fair to have a $2.50 fare or fee to go with microtransit when it’s not qualified just for low income, seniors, disabilities, people that really need it,” Birrell said. “... I just don’t think it’s fair to have the same door-to-door service at $2.50, which is the same fare or fee for riding the CCT (Cobb Community Transit) when you don’t qualify the riders that really need it.”

Supporters of the expansion, meanwhile, say it will serve needy populations in the county. During an August work session, Allen and Sheffield said they’ve both heard from constituents who say getting around the county is a major issue for them, and pushed back against the assertion that microtransit isn’t worth the investment just because not everyone uses it.

“Transit is a service, much like parks, much like senior services,” Sheffield said during that meeting. “We have close to 800,000 citizens in this county. Everybody’s not going to utilize all of the same services, but that does not mean we turn a deaf ear to and a blind eye to those who need those services.”

According to the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, the total cost for the proposed two-year Acworth/Kennesaw pilot project is an estimated $4.8 million.

Funding from the state’s Transit Trust Fund program will provide $3.84 million for estimated project costs. The county will provide the remaining $960,000 using existing Federal Transit Administration grant funds and local match funds, which the commission previously approved.

Per the agenda, the county will pay Via Mobility LLC $3.19 million for the two-year pilot.

For the south Cobb expansion, the board is set to approve a one-year continuation of services and amendment with Via Mobility through Sept. 2027 and expand the microtransit area by approximately six miles.

The cost for the contract renewal and area expansion is approximately $1.57 million paid through the TTF, Federal Transit Administration grants and associated local match funding.

CobbLinc Go officially launched in late 2024 with service starting in south Cobb as part of a two-year pilot program with an option for a third year.

The service averaged nearly 2,400 trips per month during its first 19 months and reached 3,628 trips in April 2026, compared with about 640 monthly trips under the former FLEX service, per the county.

The proposed south Cobb expansion would add about six square miles to the existing zone — which includes Wellstar Cobb Hospital, two high schools, several grocery stores, a library and a county recreation center — extending service into northwest Mableton. The county’s Title VI analysis found that the expansion would provide microtransit access to about 18,105 additional residents, a 19% increase. The county found no disparate impact on minority populations or disproportionate burden on low-income residents.

The proposed north Cobb pilot would cover about 31 square miles in portions of Acworth and Kennesaw, including downtown areas, Kennesaw State University, Cobb County International Airport and Town Center Mall. The service would operate on the same schedule, at the same $2.50 fare, with free transfers to local buses. The pilot would complement Routes 40 and 45 and Rapid 10 by providing local circulation and first- and last-mile connections, the Marietta Daily Journal previously reported.