Chatham Area Transit history

Also during 1989, CAT installed 31 new bus shelters and over 90 new passenger benches.

CAT Mobility is a shared-ride, advance reservation lift-equipped transportation service that is available to individuals with disabilities in Chatham County who are unable to use fixed route bus service as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).

Late 1994 also saw the introduction of the electric-powered CAT Shuttle that circulated in Historic Downtown Savannah, and the first lift-equipped buses arrived.

In 1996, CAT played a major role, in conjunction with the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), in the mandatory evacuation of Chatham County citizens in preparation for Hurricane Fran.

Also in 1997, CAT initiated placement of new bus stop signs along some of its bus routes.

In 1998, CAT developed its website, www.catchacat.org, which contains details about the transit system as well as route maps and schedules to assist site visitors with trip information.

In 1999, CAT and the City of Savannah signed an agreement that allowed CAT to operate its downtown CAT Shuttle serving both residents and visitors fare-free.

The year 2000 marked new demands in flexibility for public transportation.

In 2001, CAT purchased and placed into operation two trolley replicas on the CAT Shuttle route.

In 2003, the arrival of 31 new low floor replacement buses with a voice annunciation system for major stops made CAT’s fleet 100 percent lift equipped.

Additionally in 2004, CAT installed one hundred bus shelters throughout the Transit District under CAT’s passenger amenities program which also included the installation of benches and trash receptacles.

Through a contract executed in 2005 with the City of Savannah, CAT operated the successful Liberty St Park­ing Shuttle on weekdays from the Liberty Parking Garage to other municipal parking garages and major downtown destinations.

In 2006, CAT saw the delivery of five new 30 ft. and five new 35 ft. low-floor buses to replace buses ready for retirement.

In 2009, CAT received a federal grant to purchase its first eleven hybrid buses.

In 2010, the CAT Board voted to enter into a delegated management contract with Veolia Transportation as a way of bringing private business efficiency to this critical public service.

July 2012 brought the defeat of the T-SPLOST vote, a transportation sales tax initiative designed to fund infrastructure and transportation projects across Georgia as a countermeasure to declining federal and state funding.

In 2013, the CAT Board ended its contract with Veolia, believing the General Manager and staff capable of continuing their progress without the management contract price tag.

Soon after, in January 2014, CAT partnered with the City of Savannah to introduce the first transit-owned bikeshare in the state of Georgia, CAT Bike.

In 2015, CAT continued efforts to generate interest in full county-wide service, meeting with communities in west Chatham County.

In 2016, CAT celebrated some major funding victories, receiving awards totaling more than $15 million from the Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority’s Go! Transit Capital Program and the United States Department of Transportation’s Bus and Bus Facilities Grant Program.

In January of 2017, CAT celebrated 30 years of service.

In May of 2018 CAT unveiled the first of 18 new 35-ft buses being added into its fleet.

In January of 2019 CAT announced its Let’s Go! Designing Better Transit Together initiative, which will result in a system-wide redesign of the community’s fixed-route bus network.

In January 2020, CAT approved a six-month pilot program for riders of the CAT Mobility paratransit service who complete a Travel Training program to ride CAT’s fixed-route buses for free.