Chatham Area Transit

Chatham Area Transit

Founded	1986 (38 years ago) (1986)
Headquarters	Chatham Area Transit
Locale	Savannah, Georgia
Service area	Chatham County, Georgia
Service type	Bus, Paratransit
Routes	17
Hubs	Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Intermodal Transit Center
Fleet	60
Daily ridership	17,000 annually (estimated)
Fuel type	Diesel, hybrid
Website	http://www.catchacat.org/

Chatham Area Transit (CAT) is the provider of public transportation in the Savannah, Georgia, metropolitan area. The Authority was founded in 1987, evolving from previous transit providers.^[1] Services operate seven days a week.

The downtown shuttles are known as the dot (downtown transportation).

CAT's Intermodal Transit Center, opened in 2013, is named for Joe Murray Rivers Jr., a transit advocate who transformed public transit in Georgia.^[2]

As of 2024, CAT has a fleet of sixty buses,^[3] including ten running on electricity.^[4] Its annual ridership is around 17,000.^[5]

Fixed-route list

There are currently 14 fixed routes:^[6]

3: West Chatham
3B: Augusta Ave / Garden City / Hudson Hill
4: Barnard
5: Port Wentworth (Service started 2024)
6: Cross Town
10: East Savannah
11: Candler
12: Henry
14: Abercorn Local
17: Silk Hope
25: MLK Jr. Blvd / Westlake Apartments
27: Waters
28: Waters
31: Skidaway / Sandfly

Fare-free services

There are currently three free downtown (dot) shuttles:^[6]

Forsyth Loop
Downtown Loop
Savannah Belles Ferry

The Downtown Loop was amended in January 2022 to incorporate sections of Abercorn Street, East Liberty Street and East Oglethorpe Avenue, with new stops added at Price and East Liberty Streets and East Broad Street near East Bryan Street. It would no longer serve the eastern end of Bryan and Congress Streets.^[7]

In January 2024, CAT began a four-month pilot program offering students fare-free rides around Chatham County. It replaces a 50% discount program. Some parents had concerns that their children would be sharing buses with the general population.^[8]

Pooler, Thunderbolt and Port Wentworth opted out of receiving CAT's services upon its 1986 chartering.^[5]

CAT bike stations

Rivers Exchange - 610 W. Oglethorpe Ave.
Ellis Square - 31 Barnard St.

References

^ "History | Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". www.catchacat.org. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
^ "Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center | Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-01-25.
^ "About CAT – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-05-23.
^ "Chatham Area Transit (CAT) | DRIVE Electric USA". Drive Electric USA. 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
^ ^a ^b "Savannah Morning News Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". subscribe.savannahnow.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
^ ^a ^b System Map – CatchACat.org
^ "New Dot shuttle route to begin Jan. 9" – CAT Express, January 4, 2022
^ Jaudon, Travis. "FREE RIDE:The pilott program offers students zero-fare CAT rides for the next 4 months, but how does it work?". Connect Savannah. Retrieved 2024-01-22.