The City of Smyrna is the agency responsible for the study. Smyrna applied for funding from and is working closely with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Other partners participating in the study include the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Cobb LINC, and various Cobb County departments. Assisting Smyrna is a consultant team led by Croy Engineering with Strategic City Partners, J.R. Wilburn and Associates, and CERM.

The purpose of the study is to guide the future transportation and economic activities on South Cobb Drive between Concord Road and Windy Hill Road by developing an array of alternative improvements along with recommending policies and procedures.

The results of the study will be a comparative analysis that allows the improvements to be ranked for the ease, funding, and importance for implementation. From this study, a preferred improvement alternative will be selected and adopted in late Spring 2017. The City of Smyrna will identify funding to move forward into the preliminary engineering phase and, ultimately, construction. A definitive time frame for construction completion has not been determined, but it would occur over a five-year to ten-year time frame.

A particular funding source has not been identified. That determination will be made by the City of Smyrna after the preferred alternative has been selected.

No. The various alternatives being developed can all be contained within the existing public right-of-way.

A number of public outreach efforts have already been conducted:

• Presentation at Smyrna Food Truck Tuesday (September 27, 2016)
• First Public Open House held at Wolfe Center (October 18, 2016)
• Presentation at Smyrna Fall Jonquil Festival (October 22, 2016)
• Presentation at Smyrna Chamber meeting (November 3, 2016)
• Ward 5 Public Information Meeting (December 8, 2016)
• Second Public Information Open House Meeting (February 7, 2017)

Future outreach efforts:

• Although all public events have been completed, the public can still submit feedback online. All comments should be submitted by February 24th, 2017 to be accounted for in the second public involvement period.

• Improved safety for all corridor users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders)
• Improved east-west connectivity from residential areas to Belmont Hills Elementary School, Campbell High School, and the Village Green/Atlanta Road Corridor by bicycle and on foot
• Increasing the ability and desirability for local residents to access community facilities, shopping and restaurants without needing to drive a car

Bicycle facilities that will be considered during the analysis phase include:

• An on-road, striped and marked bicycle lane
• A wider multi-use trail in the right-of-way adjacent to the roadway
• An on-road but physically separated cycle track

The corridor currently has sidewalks along both sides for the entire length of the roadway. Therefore, pedestrian recommendations will focus on ways of further improving safety for pedestrians and autos. Improvements considered will include:

• Stamped and/or raised crosswalks at key intersections
• Mid-block pedestrian refuges and/or signalized crossings
• Improved facilities accessing key destinations, such as wider sidewalks and additional lighting

Transit recommendations will consider:

• Relocating bus stops to better align with rider origins/destinations and increase safety for riders and autos
• Constructing bus pull-off lanes at stops to remove stopped buses from the traffic flow
• Providing shelters and benches at all bus stops