Marietta officials want to study whether to invest tax money in a trolley that could increase tourism to the city’s museums and historic sites — and possibly shuttle fans 10 miles from Marietta Square down Cobb Parkway to Atlanta Braves games.
Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin said the idea of a trolley — or a bus-type vehicle that travels on roadways — has been studied before. But he said the time might be right for the city to invest in it now, because of the expected increase in visitors when the new Braves stadium opens in Cobb County in 2017.
Tumlin said potential routes and cost will be the primary focus of the study. He thinks the city might enter into a partnership with a private business, in which tax dollars are used to buy the trolley cars and a private company runs the daily operations.
“If I ran the world, we’d offer an initial capital (infusion) and furnish the buses and underused parking lots,” said Tumlin, adding that he thinks the initial cost to the city would be about $100,000.
Potential stops include the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw; the Marietta Aviation Museum; Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park; historic homes around Marietta; and SunTrust Park in Smyrna for Braves home games or special events.
Cassandra Buckalew, who owns the Marietta Trolley Company with her husband, Brian, said her trolleys provide narrated tours of historic homes, Marietta Square, cemeteries and other points of interest. Those tours do not currently stop at the Cobb County museums.
Buckalew’s trolleys can be reserved for charters to Braves games, but she said the company found several years ago that routine trips from Marietta to Turner Field were not profitable.
“There’s only a certain amount of money people will pay to go to Turner Field,” Buckalew said. “That’s part of the reason we only do charters now. Companies can afford to pay us on an hourly basis, so that makes it a profitable business for us.
“It may be different with the Braves closer. That may allow us to make several runs back and forth” between Marietta and SunTrust Park.
Buckalew’s company operates two trolley vehicles, which she says cost about $150,000 each.
The Marietta City Council unanimously approved the idea of a study at its Jan. 14 meeting. The council’s Economic Development Committee will discuss how much to budget for it, and who should perform it when it meets Jan. 28.
The committee will then make a recommendation to the full council.
Tumlin said city staff will probably handle the study, although it also could be performed by the Marietta Visitors Bureau.
Marietta councilman Stuart Fleming said he supports studying whether the trolley would be profitable. While the mayor thinks of the trolley running to Braves games as secondary, Fleming said it should be the primary focus.
“One of the reasons the Braves chose Cobb County was to be closer to their fan base,” Fleming said. “One thing it’s important for Marietta to explore further is, how can we support that?”
Tumlin and Buckalew both said they have had informal discussions about the Marietta Trolley Company working with the city on the project. But both said it is too soon to know whether that will happen.
“We’re open to it,” Buckalew said. “We’ve been approached by others about the Braves new stadium. We’re taking a wait-and-see approach.
“There’s a lot to consider. Would we just add those stops on to our current route, change the routes completely? We haven’t gotten that far.”
Tumlin said there is widespread community support for the trolley. But it’s not universal.
Craig Kootsillas, a political consultant who is active in county politics, said private companies would already be operating those routes if they were profitable.
“This venture may bring needed revenue to the shops in Marietta, but it also will bring the Braves stadium traffic snarl into Marietta,” Kootsillas said. “Those concerned about the congestion simply will not have a say in this decision.”
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