Management of Kennesaw Mountain Drive and Bus Shuttle Service
Study Scope
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (the park) is located in Georgia, west of the city of Marietta and I-75 in central Cobb County, northwest of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The park encompasses an array of historic features related to some of the heaviest fighting of the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War but also operates as an important and popular recreational destination within the Atlanta metropolitan region. This study focuses only on a small subsection of the park, Kennesaw Mountain and the Visitor Center, both located in the northeast corner of the park. The purpose of this study is to assess the management of the Kennesaw Mountain Drive, which runs from the Visitor Center to the summit of Kennesaw Mountain, and assess the future of the shuttle service that operates on the road during weekends, including the possibility of operating an electric or hybrid electric vehicle. The study includes the following components:
Existing conditions
Review of recommendations from previous studies and public input
Critique of previous management proposals
Recommended design and operational strategy for management of Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Financing and management of recommended shuttle service
Vehicle technology assessment (limited to electric and electric hybrid)
Recommended next steps
This study relies on data and information provided by park staff, Cobb County, previous studies, and field observations made during a site visit on May 8 and 9, 2009.
Existing Conditions and Previous Studies
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park received over 1.4 million visits in 2008 and according to available visitation data, the majority of recreational visitors (over 50%) visit the Visitor Center, either to park or to enter the Visitor Center. A very small number (~18,000) access the summit of Kennesaw Mountain by vehicle, allowed on weekdays only, and an even smaller number use the shuttle (~17,000). This indicates that all other visitors to the Visitor Center (~650,000) who visit the summit of Kennesaw Mountain either walk, run, or bicycle using the road or the unpaved trail.
Kennesaw Mountain Drive is a 2-lane, asphalt-paved roadway, approximately 20 feet wide, with 10 foot lanes, sustained grades exceeding 12% and one foot or less of shoulder for approximately 80% of its length. During the site visit, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center study team observed that the mixed use of the road was occurring in a very confined road space with potential conflicts
between user types – bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles - all operating at great speed variance and with little predictability as to travel path. These observations confirm and validate earlier studies that there are major safety concerns and the potential for great hazard.
When the fare for the shuttle was introduced in June 2004, ridership dropped by 25-30% and eventually settled at approximately half of its former level, without a similar change in visitation, which maintained previous levels.
Several previous studies and surveys contain recommendations for the Kennesaw Mountain shuttle and resolution of user conflicts on Kennesaw Mountain Drive, including the 2003 Engineering Study for Roads & Bridges, the 2004 Transportation Assistance Group visit, 2007 White Paper by park staff and corresponding public comments, and visitor surveys from 1990 and 2007.
Recommended Management Strategy
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center study team considered management alternatives presented to the public by the park in 2007 as well as several other possibilities and developed its own management alternative. A hierarchy of users (from most benign to least benign) has been identified based on environmental impact (i.e., noise and air emissions, fuel consumption, and visual intrusion and annoyance) and road space consumption. The hierarchy is as follows.
pedestrians (which include birders, walkers, joggers, and parents with strollers),
bicyclists,
bus shuttle users (with the bus replacing private vehicles assuming a 27 passenger load on a ratio of 9 to 14 depending on average vehicle occupancy), and
private vehicles.
Park staff have stated that any management solution must continue to allow vehicular access to the top of Kennesaw Mountain for interpretative purposes (part of the legislative purpose of the park), and must provide for visitor safety. Traffic data provided by the park and Cobb County indicate that on average 40-80 vehicles per weekday ascend and descend Kennesaw Mountain Drive. Thus exclusion of private vehicles appears to be both feasible and desirable based on environmental grounds and on the ability to shift the limited demand for vehicular access by privately-operated vehicles to an expanded shuttle system not too dissimilar or resourceintensive
to that now provided on weekends and holidays. With this change, the shuttle system becomes mission critical to the provision of vehicular access to the summit for interpretive opportunities. As a basis for a strategy to manage user conflicts and increase safe operation of the road, this study recommends that private vehicles be excluded from Kennesaw Mountain Drive and that the bus shuttle be expanded to operate seven days a week.
In addition to exclusion of private vehicles and daily shuttle operation, it is recommended that physical improvements and space and time separation strategies be deployed, including:
Redesign of the road cross section to consist of a vehicular channel of 14’, and a pedestrian channel or domain of ~ 6 feet that is separated by a roughened stone delineation and in-road (flush) emergency lights and differentiated by a colored pavement surface;
Installation of signage along the road (in both directions) advising pedestrians to move to the inside mountain edge (with appropriate arrow on signage, depending on location of sign) when the emergency use light system is activated;
Implementation of a time-separation schedule for the shuttle and bicycles for use the vehicular channel;
Allowance of use of the pedestrian channel or domain during park operating hours; and
Establishment of operating protocols, described in detail later in the report, that only apply to the bus shuttle operator and park and emergency personal staff who are able to comply.
Recommended Financing and Management Strategy for the Shuttle Service
The projected operating and maintenance cost of the new service would be approximately $75,000 per year, to be funded by an entrance fee ($25 for an annual pass, $3 for a daily pass), to be collected at five primary parking areas within the park, including the parking area at the Visitor Center, through the use of automated fee machines. Projected revenue, based on visitation and some assumptions about repeat and one-time visitors, is more than sufficient to cover projected operating and maintenance costs (or contract cost) as well as administrative costs of the expanded shuttle service. The remaining revenue (more than 90 percent) could be used for other park programs, activities, and maintenance, including trail maintenance and interpretive programs. The entrance fee would be enforced periodically by park staff with warnings and/or tickets and a marketing campaign would help visitors understand the use of
such revenue for various park programs and facilities, including the maintenance of an accessible transportation system that serves the summit.
The table below summarizes the assumptions and calculations for the costs and revenues of the current and proposed shuttle systems.
Assumptions:
Fuel per mile ($3 per gallon at 6 miles per gallon) = $0.50/mile for both current and proposed system.
Maintenance cost per mile = $0.50/mile for both current and proposed system.
Cost of driver = $25/hour for both current and proposed system.
Round-Trip Length = 2.6 miles for both current and proposed system.
Total Number of Round Trips (1 year) = 1856 in current system and 4,958 in proposed system.
Costs:
Fuel Cost = $2,413 in current system and $6445 in proposed system.
Maintenance Cost = $2,413 in current system and $6445 in proposed system.
Driver Cost = $23,200 in current system and $61,975 in proposed system.
Cost of Lease / Purchase = $42,000 in current system and $19,000 in proposed system.
Total Cost = $65,200 in current system and $93,865 in proposed system.
Total Revenue (Fare / Designated Portion of Entrance Fee) = $13,500- $17,500 in current system and $93,865 in proposed system.
Difference between Cost/Revenue = $47,500 - $51,700 in current system and $0 in proposed system.
Continued use of an external contract to operate the shuttle service is recommended as it has the advantage that the operator has expertise in transit and buses and has infrastructural and organizational advantages in providing maintenance, repair, storage, training, and regulatory activities. The disadvantages, such as lack of control over vehicle type and amenities, can be countered by the park’s purchase of a vehicle. The history of shuttle service and recommended change in management of Kennesaw Mountain Drive both represent a permanent, long-term commitment that would be best served by buying the vehicle, which also is more cost-effective,
as demonstrated in the table above.
Vehicle Assessment and Recommendations
The table below summarizes the technologies and vehicles examined in the limited, high-level survey of four manufacturers and three transit operators of electric and hybrid electric buses and compares them to the standard or default transit bus currently on the market, which uses clean diesel, as mandated by the EPA.
Electric (Gatormoto)
Capital Cost = $18,000
Operating and maintenance costs = Less than standard; $0.02 per mile and battery replacement every 3 years ($1500)
Operating and maintenance issues = Less than standard; consists of checking tire pressure, monthly refilling of distilled water for the battery, and periodic replacement of battery
Facility/infrastructure needs = None; plugs into regular receptacle with electric cords; comes with automated maintenance monitor
Performance at grade = Unknown but likely that batteries may drain quickly so would need multiople vehicles (3) to allow for recharging
Performance at grade = Unknown; may have to be modified and multiple vehicles may be required (2) to allow for recharging
Noise = Quiet
Challenges = Battery drain
Electric-Hybrid (Ebus and EVAmerica)
Capital Cost = $160-200,000
Operating and maintenance costs = Not provided
Operating and maintenance issues = Software issues, unfamiliar technology
Facility/infrastructure needs = Specialized diagnostic tools and mechanic
Performance at grade = Unknown; may have to be modified
Noise = Fairly quiet but will use engine
Challenges = Power, maintenance
Standard (30 foot)
Capital Cost = $200,000
Operating and maintenance costs = $0.50 per mile
Operating and maintenance issues = Standard
Facility/infrastructure needs = Standard garage and mechanic services
Performance at grade = Sufficient
Noise = Relatively loud
Challenges = Noise and fuel consumption
As a result of survey summarized in the table above, the U.S. DOT / Volpe Center study team identified two uncertainties in these technologies:
the state of the art of these technologies and classes of vehicles
the specific application of these technologies to the Kennesaw Mountain shuttle route, in particular the sustained grade of the road
These uncertainties may preclude the use of these technologies for this route and/or may mean increased maintenance and operations costs (despite fuel savings) and the need for specific staff and equipment. Cobb Community Transit does not currently have the expertise to work with AFVs and MARTA has been focused on CNG and propane; it currently operates 441 CNG transit vehicles, which it began to add to its service in 1995.
Without being able to resolve these two uncertainties, the study team recommends the purchase of a standard 30-foot transit bus, run on clean diesel. Current ridership indicates a capacity of 15 would be sufficient to meet 75 percent of the demand, but with the possible increase in ridership with the elimination of the fee and consideration of geometric constraints and scale, the study recommends a capacity of at least 20-25. Such a purchase would provide the park with a smaller, more efficient, and more comfortable bus than that provided by current and previous contractors.
To resolve the two uncertainties, the study team recommends that the park contact the manufacturers above whose vehicles most likely meet the requirements and preferences of the park, to test the vehicle on the route and to identify local maintenance support. Once it is
determined that such technologies could perform on the route, the park should then undertake a vehicle selection study that includes a full market review of available vehicles and identifies specific features that the park prioritizes.
Recommended Next Steps
There are a number of next steps that could and should be taken to improve the safety and visitor experience for users of Kennesaw Mountain Drive. These steps primarily consist of applying for funding to conduct planning studies or construct/implement changes in
management and beginning the necessary civic engagement and environmental process for such changes. For funding, the US DOT Volpe Center study team believes that the recommendation to run a shuttle seven days a week and exclude personal vehicles helps these projects to be more competitive because the shuttle service becomes mission critical in maintaining vehicular access
while improving safety of the use of Kennesaw Mountain Drive. The design changes recommended for the road further improve safety and the visitor experience.
Recommended steps include the following:
Entrance Fee Implementation
Refine the projected revenue model based on park staff knowledge and new data collection; may also want to include an assumption for noncompliance.
Submit a PMIS/TRIP implementation grant proposal for the design, engineering, siting, and acquisition required to implement a park and display meter system. At least seven AFMs would be required (one per 100 spaces), totaling $560,000 ($80,000 each). Once in place, this will allow the shuttle to be provided for free while providing a reliable, dedicated funding source for operations.
Submit a proposal to the National Park Service to consider implementation of an entrance fee for Kennesaw Mountain NBP. The proposal should include initiation of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process and must include a civic engagement process, which will require 6-8 months.
Recommended management and design of Kennesaw Mountain Drive
Submit a PMIS Category I or III grant proposal for the design, engineering, siting, and construction required to implement the recommended road design changes. Once in place, this will allow for the safe use of the road by the shuttle and pedestrians.
Submit a PMIS/TRIP implementation grant proposal for a new, 30-foot clean diesel vehicle. This will provide a vehicle that is more appropriately sized for Kennesaw Mountain Drive and that will have the amenities that the park is seeking in its shuttle service. The projected revenue from the recommended entrance fee would be sufficient for the recapitalization costs of the vehicle.
Initiate the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Process for the changes pursued in management of the road, road infrastructure, shuttle operations, and entrance fee implementation.
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Acknowledgments
The authors of the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center wish to thank the numerous organizations and individuals who graciously provided their time, knowledge and guidance in the development of this report, including:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Stanley C. Bond, Superintendent
Lloyd Morris, Chief Ranger
Daniel R. Brown (former Superintendent)
Nancy Walther (former Acting Superintendent)
Riana Bishop (former Acting Superintendent)
Brian Bennett (former Acting Superintdendent)
Andrea Catroppa
National Park Service Southeast Region Office
Elisabeth Hahn, Transportation Planner
Rich Devenney
Cobb County Department of Transportation
Chris Pruitt, Traficc Operations
Larry Stokes, Planner
Russ Hamilton, Engineer I
Kennesaw Mountain Trail Club
Jim Moylan, President
Previous shuttle operator
Paul White, Owner
PRDS Corporation
Rose Bell, Owner
Manufacturers
Al Curtis, President/CEO, EVAmerica
Andy Eklov, CEO, Ebus
Justin Jackrel, Owner, GatorMoto
Tom Lincoln, National Sales Manager, Azure Dynamics
Operators
Richard Farr, Executive Director, Rabbit Transit
Lee Hansel, Courtesy Patrol, Portofino Island Resort
Scott Marine, Transportation Director, Fun Time Trolley
