City of Savannah history

The Savannah, the first steamboat to cross the Atlantic Ocean, sailed from there to Liverpool, England, in 1819.

The publicly funded firefighting apparatus and equipment was housed in station houses, squares and markets throughout the City to provide quick access.In 1820 Savannah experienced its second devastating fire.

The birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (completed in 1821), now owned and operated by the Girl Scouts of the United StatesA. as a memorial to their founder

During the Civil War, the city suffered from sea blockades so strict that the economy crumbled. "Impregnable" Fort Pulaski at the mouth of the Savannah River was captured by Union soldiers in 1862.

The story of public transportation in Savannah began in 1869 with the formation of the Savannah-Skidaway and Seaboard Railway Company.

In 1872 the Big Duke fire bell, named after City Council Fire Committee Member Marmaduke Hamilton, was purchased.

The Cathedral of St John the Baptist (1876), one of the largest Roman Catholic churches in the South

In 1890, the first electric streetcar ran across the rails of the Savannah Street Railway.

The City Exchange continued to be occupied jointly by municipal, commercial, and other public offices until 1896, when for the first time, municipal government comprised its total occupancy.

Savannah’s history since 1900 has revolved largely around its industrialization and growth as a maritime centre.

The last City Council meeting was held in the City Exchange on March 16, 1904, after which its demolition began.

City Hall opened to the public with gala receptions attended by 10,000 guests on January 2, 1906.

Then in 1911 the City ordered 13 motorized chemical wagons to replace all of the department’s horse drawn apparatus, making the Savannah Fire Department the nation’s first fully-mechanized fire department.

These newly styled signs joined the orange bus standards which have been a Savan­nah landmark since the mid-1940’s.

In January 1946, the Savannah Electric and Power Company sold its holdings to the Savannah Transit Company.

On February 19, 1954, City Council approved a resolution hiring Frank A. Jacocks as the City's first city manager.

In July 1961, the Savannah Transit Authority (STA) was created by state legislation to take over for the private Savannah Transit Company.

In March 1987, the CAT Board approved an expansion program increasing transit service as five new routes were added and service levels were improved on two existing routes.

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.

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.

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 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.