**Region 12: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA CBSA**

I.  **Geographic Boundaries, Political Jurisdictions and
    Infrastructure**

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="6.492361111111111in" height="7.2in"}

**Map 12.1: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Major Highways and Fixed
Guideway System**

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA is comprised of 28 counties. The
City of Atlanta is the most populous city in the CBSA and the most
populous city in the State of Georgia. Atlanta also is the state
capital. The CBSA is 8,483 square miles and has a total population of
more than 4.2 million people. The state population in 2000 was
8,186,453.

The region is served by numerous interstate and U.S. highways.
Interstates 85 and 75 are the primary north-south freeways and
Interstate 20 is the primary east-west freeway. These freeways converge
at Atlanta. Interstate 285 is a bypass that forms a beltway around
downtown Atlanta. The region also is served by a number of U.S. Highways
including Highways 19, 23, 29, 78, and 278. The Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) operates two heavy rail lines.

The CBSA is located on the Piedmont plateau, which divides the
Appalachian Mountain chain and the fall line leading to the eastern
seaboard. The climate of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA is
classified as humid subtropical, which is marked by hot, humid summers
and mild winters. The region receives consistent rainfall throughout the
year. Due to its proximity to Gulf of Mexico and the prevailing winds,
the region receives a fair amount of severe weather including violent
thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms and hurricanes. Although the
area does not receive an appreciable amount of snowfall during winter,
the confluence of cold air from the north and tropical moisture from the
Gulf can result in ice storms causing power outages and property damage.
The region also is located near the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone,
which is one of the more active earthquake zones in the eastern United
States according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). However, no
damaging earthquakes have been recorded in the CBSA within the past 80
years.

II. **Agencies Operating in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
    CBSA**

+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| **Agency**         | **Jurisdictions      | **Popu | **Op    | **S  |
|                    | Served**             | lation | erating | taff |
|                    |                      | Se     | B       | Si   |
|                    |                      | rved** | udget** | ze** |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Georgia DOT (GDOT) | Barrow , Bartow ,    | 4,2    | \$2     | 6    |
| Districts 1, 2, 3, | Butts , Carroll,     | 47,981 | billion | ,000 |
| 6 and 7            | Cherokee , Clayton , |        |         |      |
|                    | Cobb , Coweta ,      |        | (total  | (t   |
|                    | Dawson , DeKalb ,    |        | agency) | otal |
|                    | Douglas , Fayette ,  |        |         | age  |
|                    | Forsyth , Fulton ,   |        |         | ncy) |
|                    | Gwinnett , Haralson  |        |         |      |
|                    | , Heard , Henry ,    |        |         |      |
|                    | Jasper , Lamar ,     |        |         |      |
|                    | Meriwether , Newton  |        |         |      |
|                    | , Paulding , Pickens |        |         |      |
|                    | , Pike , Rockdale ,  |        |         |      |
|                    | Spalding , Walton    |        |         |      |
|                    | counties             |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Atlanta Regional   | Cherokee, Gwinnett,  | 3.8    | \$5.4   | *    |
| Commission (ARC)   | DeKalb, Cobb,        | m      | Million | (a)* |
|                    | Douglas, Fulton,     | illion |         |      |
|                    | Fayette,\            |        |         |      |
|                    | Clayton, Rockdale,   |        |         |      |
|                    | Henry, Coweta,       |        |         |      |
|                    | Forsyth, Paulding,   |        |         |      |
|                    | Barrow, Bartow, Hall |        |         |      |
|                    | Newton, Spaulding,   |        |         |      |
|                    | Walton               |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Metropolitan       | Fulton, DeKalb,      | 1,5    | \$3.0   | 4    |
| Atlanta Rapid      | Atlanta              | 41,500 | million | ,355 |
| Transit Authority\ |                      |        |         |      |
| (MARTA)            |                      |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Cobb Community     | Sandy Springs,       | 6      | \$475   | 155  |
| Transit            | Canton, Kennesaw,    | 30,000 | million |      |
|                    | Smyrna, Atlanta,     |        |         |      |
|                    | Vinings, Mableton,   |        |         |      |
|                    | Lithia Springs,      |        |         |      |
|                    | Powder Springs,      |        |         |      |
|                    | Woodstock, Hiram,\   |        |         |      |
|                    | Arcworth             |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Georgia Regional   | Cherokee, Gwinnett,  | * (a)* | * (a)*  | *    |
| Transportation     | DeKalb, Cobb,        |        |         | (a)* |
| Authority\         | Douglas, Fulton,     |        |         |      |
| (GRTA)             | Fayette,\            |        |         |      |
|                    | Clayton, Rockdale,   |        |         |      |
|                    | Henry, Coweta,       |        |         |      |
|                    | Forsyth, Paulding,   |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Gwinnett County    | Auburn, Berkeley     | 7      | \$1.5   | 171  |
| Department of      | Lake, Braselton,     | 26,723 | billion |      |
| Transportation     | Buford, Dacula,      |        |         |      |
|                    | Duluth, Grayson,     |        |         |      |
|                    | Lawrenceville,       |        |         |      |
|                    | Lilburn, Loganville, |        |         |      |
|                    | Nocross, Rest Haven, |        |         |      |
|                    | Snellville,\         |        |         |      |
|                    | Sugar Hill, Suwanee  |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+
| Georgia Rail       | State of Georgia     | 9,0    | \$2.82  | *    |
| Passenger          |                      | 72,576 | billion | (a)* |
| Authority          |                      |        |         |      |
+--------------------+----------------------+--------+---------+------+

* (a) Not available*

**Table 12.1: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Transportation
Agencies**

III. **Transit Service Area: Fixed Guideway and Bus Service Area**

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="6.492361111111111in" height="7.2in"}

**Map 12.2: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Fixed Guideway and Bus
Transit Service Area**

There are a number of public transportation operators in the CBSA that
provide fixed-route bus service. These agencies are identified in Table
12.1. Passenger rail services are provided by the Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). The following is a brief description of
the public transportation agencies in the CBSA.

-   [MARTA]{.underline} -- operates 125 bus routes using 691 buses. In
    2004, MARTA carried more than 66 million unlinked passenger trips on
    its bus system. In addition to bus service MARTA, operates two heavy
    rail (rapid transit) lines, the North-South Rail Line and the
    East-West Rail Line. Service is provided to 38 stations along a 48
    mile rail network using 350 rail cars. In FY2004, MARTA rail service
    carried more than 69 million passenger trips. MARTA also provides
    paratransit services using a fleet of 110 paratransit vans and
    carrying more than 306,000 trips annually.

-   [Cobb Community Transit (CCT)]{.underline} -- operates 19 bus
    routes, including local and peak-hour express services. It operates
    a fleet of 66 buses through a private contractor. In FY2004, CCT
    provided 3.4 million passenger trips. CCT also operates a fleet of
    15 paratransit vans for persons with disabilities unable to use the
    fixed route system. CCT provided approximately 58,000 paratransit
    trips in FY2004.

-   [Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA)]{.underline} --
    GRTA was established in 1998 to improve regional mobility. Under
    agreements with a number of counties in the region, GRTA sponsors
    services that are designed to relieve congestion. These services are
    operated under contract and consist of express commuter bus service
    and vanpool services. In FY2004, services operated under GRTA's
    sponsorship involved 138 buses providing express commuter services
    and 67 vehicles in vanpool operations. In the same year, GRTA
    services carried 6.1 million bus passenger trips and approximately
    170,000 vanpool trips.

-   [Gwinnett County Department of Transportation]{.underline} --
    operates the Gwinnett County Transit (GC Transit) service. The
    service began in 2000 consists of a mix of local (seven routes),
    express (six routes) and paratransit service. In addition to its own
    services, GC Transit operates two express bus routes for GRTA. GC
    Transit's services are operated using a fleet of 60 buses and eight
    paratransit vehicles. All of GC Transit's services are contracted
    out to private providers. In FY1994 GCT carried approximately 1.6
    million passenger trips on its fixed-route bus services and 3,500
    trips on its paratransit services.

-   [Georgia Rail Passenger Authority]{.underline} -- the Authority was
    formed to plan and develop intra-city and commuter rail projects for
    the State of Georgia. Currently, the Authority does not operate any
    transportation services.

IV. **Number and Proportion of Minority, Below Poverty and Limited
    English Proficient Populations in Relation to the Transit Service
    Area**

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}

**Map 12.3: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Minority Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 690

Total Population of CBSA 4,247,981

Total Minority Population residing in CBSA 1,552,523

Regional Average of Minority Population in the CBSA 40%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average minority population 280
(41%)

Total Minority Population in the above average census tracts 1,100,000

According to 2000 U.S. Census data, 40 percent of the population in the
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA are minority. Of the 690 census
tracts in the CBSA, 280 have a higher than average minority population.
Together the minority population for these 280 census tracts is 1.1
million people. As shown in Map 12.3, the majority of these census
tracts are in the City of Atlanta. Other areas of higher than average
minority populations include Marietta, Doraville, and Jonesboro.
Isolated census tracts of higher than average minority populations also
occur in the southern counties (i.e., Meriwether, Spalding and Butts) as
well as counties to the east (i.e., Newton and Walton). Although there
is a significant amount of transit coverage in the minority counties,
many are not currently served by transit, reflecting the large
proportion of service that is oriented towards suburban commuters.
Thirty-nine of the 280 census tracts that have higher than average
minority populations are currently not served by public transit. These
census tracts account for approximately six percent (256,581 persons) of
the total CBSA population.

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}

**Map 12.4: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Below Poverty
Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 690

Total Population of CBSA 4,247,981

Total Below Poverty Population residing in CBSA 397,037

Regional Average of Below Poverty Population in the CBSA 11%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Below Poverty pop. 258
(37%)

Total Below Poverty Population in the above average census tracts
242,142

Approximately 11 percent (397,037 people) of the CBSA's population is
below the poverty level. Of the 690 census tracts in the region, 258
have below poverty populations that exceed the regional average, which
accounts for 242,142 persons. Most of these tracts are concentrated in
the urban areas -- Atlanta, Marietta and Doraville -- as shown in Map
12.4. Pockets of below poverty census tracts also occur in the more
rural areas surrounding the central urban core. Nearly all of the census
tracts in the urban areas with higher than average below poverty
populations are served by public transit. However, 65 of the census
tracts with higher than average below poverty populations lie outside of
the transit service area. These tracts account for nearly eight percent
(332,921 persons) of the total CBSA population.

![](media/image7.jpeg){width="5.410416666666666in" height="6.0in"}

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}**Map
12.5: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Limited English Proficient
Population**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 690

Total Population of CBSA 4,247,981

Total Population (5 years and older) of CBSA 4,190,991

Total LEP Population\* residing in CBSA 259,256

Regional Average of LEP Population\* in the CBSA 6%

Number ( %) of Census Tracts with above average LEP population\* 196
(28%)

Total LEP Population\* in the above average census tracts 186,996

\* LEP includes those 5 years of age and older

The distribution of census tracts with higher than average populations
of persons with limited English proficiency (LEP) is shown in Map 12.5.
There are 196 census tracts with higher than average LEP populations.
The LEP populations in these areas is 186,996 people. As shown in Map
12.5, the majority of these census tracts are in the urbanized area and
are fairly well served by public transit. However, 33 of the 196 census
tracts with higher than average LEP populations are outside of the
transit service area, representing slightly over five percent (220,241
persons) of the total CBSA population.

V.  **Number and Proportion of Zero Car Households: Greater than the
    Regional Average**

![](media/image9.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}

**Map 12.6: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Zero Car Households**

Total Number of Census Tracts in CBSA 690

Total Households in CBSA 403,240

Total Zero Car Households in CBSA 114,014

Regional Average of Zero Car Households in the CBSA 10%

Number (%) of Census Tracts with above average Zero Car Households 189
(27%)

Total Zero Car Households in the above average census tracts 67,383

There are 114,014 households in the CBSA that do not have a car,
approximately 10 percent of all households. The census tracts with
higher than average number of zero car households are shown in Map 12.6.
Of the 690 census tracts in the CBSA, 189 have a higher than average
number of zero car households. These 189 census tracts account for
67,383 of the zero car households in the region. The majority of these
households are in the Atlanta, Marietta and Doraville areas and are well
served by public transit. The remaining census tracts (34 of the 189)
with higher than average zero car households are in the rural areas in
the outlying counties of the CBSA and are not served by transit. These
tracts account for 3.8 percent (163,201 persons) of the total CBSA
population.

VI. **Number and Proportion of Minority Population with Overlay of Below
    Poverty Population**

![](media/image11.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}

**Map 12.7: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Minority Population with
an Overlay**

**of Below Poverty Population**

Map 12.7 shows the distribution of minority census tracts with an
overlay of census tracts with above average below poverty populations.
As shown, there is a significant amount of overlap between these two
statistics. There are 187 census tracts (27 percent) in which the
minority and below poverty populations are above the regional averages
for these statistics. The areas of overlap occur mostly in Atlanta,
Marietta, Doraville, and Meriwether County.

VII. **Number and Proportion of Minority Population with Overlays of
     Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households**

![](media/image13.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.3229166666666665in"}

**Map 12.8: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Minority Population with
Overlays**

**of Below Poverty Population and Zero Car Households**

Map 12.8 shows the minority population with overlays of the census
tracts with higher than average below poverty populations and the census
tracts with higher than average zero car households. Similar to Map
12.7, there is a significant number of census tracts in which all three
statistics coincide. In total, 146 census tracts (21 percent) have above
average values for these three statistics. Furthermore, the areas in
which these statistics are coincident include Atlanta, Marietta, parts
of Doraville and Meriwether County.

VIII. **Correlation Among Minority Population, Below Poverty Population,
      LEP Population and Zero Car Households**

  --------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------
  * *             *Minority*    *Below        *LEP*         *Zero Car HH*
                                Poverty*                    

  Minority        1.00                                      

  Below Poverty   0.63          1.00                        

  LEP             0.15          0.13          1.00          

  Zero Car HH     0.63          0.90          0.05          1.00
  --------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------

**Table 12.2: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA Correlation
Coefficients**

As has already been shown in the maps of these statistics, there is a
positive correlation between minority and below poverty populations of
0.63 (see Table 12.2). Likewise, the correlation between minority
populations and zero car households appears to be fairly strong with a
0.63 correlation coefficient. The strongest correlation exists between
the below poverty population and zero car households with a 0.90
correlation coefficient. Limited English proficiency does not seem to
have a correlation with any of the other statistics.

IX. **Natural Disasters**

+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| *           | **Date**    | **Location**      | **Human  | **F      |
| *Event(s)** |             |                   | Impact** | inancial |
|             |             |                   |          | Impact** |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Flooding,   | February    | Douglas, Fulton,  | 3        | \$10.5   |
| Severe      | 10, 1990    | Cobb, Clayton,    | deaths\  | million  |
| Storm,      |             | Gwinnett, Coweta, | 16       |          |
| Tornadoes   |             | Henry, Lamar,     | injuries |          |
|             |             | Spalding, DeKalb, |          |          |
|             |             | Walton, Butts,\   |          |          |
|             |             | Newton            |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Heavy       | November    | Cobb, Cherokee,   | 0        | \$30.3   |
| Rains, High | 22, 1992    | Fulton, Henry,    | deaths\  | million  |
| Winds,      |             | Spaulding         | 49       |          |
| Tornadoes   |             |                   | injury   |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Tornadoes,  | July 7,     | Fulton            | 1 death\ | \        |
| Flooding,   | 1994        |                   | 2        | $116,000 |
| Heavy Rain, |             |                   | injuries |          |
| Tropical    |             |                   |          |          |
| Storm       |             |                   |          |          |
| Alberto     |             |                   |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Hurricane   | October 10, | Atlanta           | 8        | \$125    |
| Opal        | 1995        | metropolitan area | deaths\  | million  |
|             |             |                   | 7        |          |
|             |             |                   | injuries |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Ice Storms  | January 22, | Barrow, Bartow,   | 0        | \$50     |
|             | 2000 and    | Butts, Carroll,   | deaths\  | million  |
|             |             | Cherokee, Cobb,   | 1 injury |          |
|             | January 28, | Dawson, DeKalb,   |          |          |
|             | 2000        | Douglas, Forsyth, |          |          |
|             |             | Fulton, Gwinnett, |          |          |
|             |             | Haralson, Henry,  |          |          |
|             |             | Jasper, Lamar,    |          |          |
|             |             | Newton, Paulding, |          |          |
|             |             | Pickens, Pike,    |          |          |
|             |             | Rockdale,         |          |          |
|             |             | Spalding counties |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Flood       | September   | Atlanta           | None     | \$41.1   |
| damage      | 4, 2004     | metropolitan area |          | million  |
| /Hurricane\ |             |                   |          |          |
| Frances     |             |                   |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Hurricane   | September   | Carroll,          | None     | \(a\)    |
| Ivan        | 18, 2004    | Cherokee,         |          |          |
|             |             | Clayton,\         |          |          |
|             |             | Cobb, Dawson,     |          |          |
|             |             | DeKalb, Forsyth,  |          |          |
|             |             | Fulton, Heard     |          |          |
|             |             | counties          |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Tropical    | September   | Butts, Jasper,    | None     | \(a\)    |
| Storm\      | 24, 2004    | Lamar, Pike,      |          |          |
| Frances     |             | Spalding          |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| Scattered   | July 11,    | Atlanta           | 0        | \$16.2   |
| winds,      | 2005        | metropolitan area | deaths\  | million  |
| flood       |             |                   | 1 injury |          |
| damage/     |             |                   |          |          |
| Hurrican    |             |                   |          |          |
| Dennis      |             |                   |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+
| High winds  | August 29,  | all 159 counties  | 1 death\ | \$14.6   |
| and         | 2005        |                   | 10       | million  |
| floodin     |             |                   | injuries |          |
| g/Hurricane |             |                   |          |          |
| Katrina     |             |                   |          |          |
+-------------+-------------+-------------------+----------+----------+

*(a) No significant damage reported*

**Table 12.3: 20-Year History of Natural Disasters in the Atlanta-Sandy
Springs-Marietta CBSA** *(Source: FEMA and NOAA National Climatic Data
Center)*

The majority of the natural disasters occurring in the Atlanta-Sandy
Springs-Marietta CBSA result from hurricanes, tropical storms and
tornadoes as shown in Table 12.3. Most of the fatalities, injuries and
damage from these storms result from the flooding that occurs due to the
significant amounts of rain that fall, flooding rivers, creeks and
streams and overwhelming storm drainage systems. The only other natural
disaster occurring in the CBSA during the past 20 years were ice storms
in January 2000. The injuries and damage resulting from these storms are
mainly due to vehicular accidents on iced-over roadways as well as
downed power and communication lines.

X.  **Man-made Disasters**

  -------------- -------------- ------------------- ----------- -------------
  **Event(s)**   **Date**       **Location**        **Human     **Financial
                                                    Impact**    Impact**

  Olympic        July 27, 1996  Atlanta (DeKalb     2 deaths\   \(a\)
  Village                       County)             111         
  Bombing                                           injuries    

  Bio Lab Fire   May 25, 2004   City of Conyers     \(a\)       \(a\)
                                (Rockdale County)               
  -------------- -------------- ------------------- ----------- -------------

*(a) No significant damage reported*

**Table 12.4: 20-Year History of Man-made Disasters in the Atlanta-Sandy
Springs-Marietta CBSA**

As shown in Table 12.4, two man-made disasters have occurred in the CBSA
during the past 20 years. The first disaster, the Olympic Village
bombing, occurred on July 27, 1996 while the City of Atlanta hosted the
Games of the XXVI Olympiad. The bombing was perpetrated by Eric Robert
Rudolph and killed two people and injured 10 others. The second event
occurred in May 2004 and involved a fire at a company that supplies
chemicals, including chlorine, for swimming pools. The fire resulted in
the evacuation of several hundred people in the area and closed down
Interstate 20 until the fire was brought under control.

In addition to these events, there are potential events that could
threaten people who live and work in the CBSA including other industrial
accidents involving chemical and bioscience companies. Other potential
events include possible terrorist strikes, particularly by groups
focusing on major corporations and government facilities. The
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta CBSA is the home to a number of major
corporate headquarters including The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, Bell
South and the United Parcel Service -- all Fortune 500 companies. Other
corporate headquarters in the CBSA include the Cable News Network (CNN)
and a number of its sister networks (e.g., Cartoon Network, TNT and
TBS), which are all owned by Time Warner. The Weather Channel also
broadcasts from the CBSA. The region also is the home of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency within the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. Any of these entities could be
likely targets for terrorist groups.

The potential for radiological hazards is relatively low since there are
no nuclear facilities in the region. The closest nuclear facilities are
the Sequoyah Plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee (118 miles to the north of
Atlanta) and the Vogtle Plant (148 miles to the east of Atlanta) in
Augusta, Georgia.