Cobb commission to consider mobile ticketing for bus service, disparity study consultant

Jake Busch, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·2 min read

May 8—Riders on CobbLinc buses may soon be able to pay with the tap of a card.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will consider adding a mobile pay option to CobbLinc buses at its Tuesday meeting.

The Cobb Department of Transportation is proposing the county work with the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, the transit planning body for the metro Atlanta area, to install a Breeze card system like the one used on MARTA trains and buses.

Using the system, riders can load a card with rides and tap it at mobile ticket stations installed on buses.

Drew Raessler, Cobb's transportation director, is asking the commission to approve a three-year deal with the transit authority for installation of the system.

Through the agreement, the authority will pay for 80% of the services to install the equipment, while Cobb will pay 20%, costing $16,400.

The agreement with the transit authority would be effective from July 1 of this year through June 1, 2026.

The commission will also be asked to move forward with an effort to improve outreach to minority and women-owned businesses.

The next step in that process is for the commission to consider approval of a list of three finalists for a consulting contract to examine the county's procurement practices.

Specifically, the firm selected by the county will conduct a disparity study to examine the county government's purchasing history.

"Once complete, the study will give County leaders a more formal understanding of the challenges faced by (minority and women-owned businesses) in doing business with the County and will include recommendations to address any identified underutilization and reduce or eliminate barriers that adversely affect the participation of (minority and women-owned businesses) in the County's procurement process," the agenda item says.

The three finalists selected by county staff out of six responding firms are:

—Griffin & Strong, P.C.

—Keen Independent Research LLC

—Browne, Bortz & Coddington, Inc. DBA BBC Research & Consulting.