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Public transportation in Savannah, Georgia

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Public transportation in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah's Amtrak station
Savannah's Amtrak station
Overview
Transit typeAir, rail, road, water

Public transportation in Savannah, Georgia, is available for all four main modes of transport—air, bus, ferry and rail—assisting residents and visitors without their own vehicle to travel around much of Savannah's 113 square miles (290 km2).

Rapid transit throughout Savannah is provided by Chatham Area Transit (CAT), which was established in 1987 as an evolvement of previous providers. There are seventeen fixed bus routes, plus the CAT's dot (downtown transportation)[1] system, which provides fare-free bus service on the Forsyth Loop and Downtown Loop, as well as free passage between River Street and Hutchinson Island via the Savannah Belles Ferry.[2] The privately owned Georgia Queen and Savannah River Queen paddle steamers are also berthed on River Street.[3]

Savannah is home to one commercial airport—Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport—which opened in 1994. Owned by the City of Savannah, it is the operating base for Allegiant Air.

Amtrak operates a passenger rail terminal at Savannah for its Palmetto and Silver Service trains, which run between New York City and Miami. Two southbound and three northbound trains make daily stops at the Savannah terminal.

In 2021, the Savannah Morning News reported that one-third of low- and median-income (LMI) households in the Savannah–Chatham area lacked reliable transportation. This was according to a survey of LMI households from the nonprofit Step Up Savannah. About 15% did not live near access to a bus route, and only 5% walked or biked.[4]

Air[edit]

Main article: List of airports in Georgia (U.S. state)
Aerial view of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport

Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (ICAO: KSAV), located 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the city, had over 1.3 million commercial passenger boardings in 2019. The airport it is the operating base for Allegiant Air.

Eleven airlines serve the airport year-round: Allegiant Air,[5] American Airlines,[6] American Eagle,[6] Avelo Airlines,[7] Breeze Airways,[8] Delta Air Lines,[9] Delta Connection,[9] Frontier Airlines,[10] JetBlue,[11] Southwest Airlines[12] and United Express.[13] Two (United Airlines[13] and Sun Country Airlines[14]) provide seasonal-only services.

Popular destinations include Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; New York City and Washington, D.C.

FedEx Express and UPS Airlines also serve the airport for cargo.

Bus[edit]

Chatham Area Transit was established in 1987.[15] Its Intermodal Transit Center,[16] opened in 2013 and located on West Oglethorpe Avenue, is named for Joe Murray Rivers Jr., a transit advocate who transformed public transit in Georgia.[17] CAT has a fleet of 60 buses,[18] including six electric fixed-route buses.[15]

Fixed-route list[edit]

There are currently fourteen fixed routes:[19]

  • 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[edit]

There are currently three free downtown (dot) shuttles:[19]

Pooler, Thunderbolt and Port Wentworth opted out of receiving CAT's services upon its 1986 chartering.[4]

Streetcar[edit]

An Old Savannah Tours streetcar on East Liberty Street in 2017

Old Town Trolley Tours operates a hop on, hop off sightseeing tour-bus service around the city.[20] Beginning at Savannah's Visitor Centre on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, its route has fourteen stops:[21] Old Town Trolley Welcome Center (West Boundary Street), Franklin Square, Madison Square, Forsyth Park, Taylor Square, Cathedral of St. John The Baptist (Lafayette Square), Old Town Trolley Barn (West Perry Street), City Market, Lucas Theatre (Reynolds Square), River Street, The Waving Girl (East River Street), Isaiah Davenport House (Columbia Square), Colonial Park Cemetery and Bull Street Corridor.

Old Savannah Tours runs a competing service.

Ferry[edit]

Savannah Belles Ferry's Susie King Taylor in 2016

The Savannah Belles Ferry fleet includes four passenger ferries. They are named for noteworthy women from Savannah's history: Juliette Gordon Low, Susie King Taylor, Florence Martus and Mary Musgrove.[22] Each ferry runs between River Street (from either City Hall or Waving Girl Landing) and Hutchinson Island in the Savannah River. Established in 2000,[23] the ferries are owned and operated by CAT, and run at no cost to the public. They run between 7.00 AM and 10.00 PM, seven days a week.[24]

Savannah River Boat Cruises runs two paddle steamers from River Street: the four-deck Georgia Queen and the three-deck Savannah River Queen.[25][26][27]

Rail[edit]

Savannah's Amtrak terminal, built in 1962, is served by Amtrak's Palmetto and Silver Service trains, which run between New York City and Miami. Two southbound and three northbound trains make daily stops at the station, which is located around 3 miles (4.8 km) west of downtown.

Reference[edit]

  1. ^ dot Shuttle – CatchACat.org
  2. ^ "New Dot shuttle route to begin Jan. 9" – CAT Express, January 4, 2022
  3. ^ Shumake, Liz (2023-04-16). "The Georgia Queen". Savannah, GA | Savannah.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  4. ^ a b "Savannah Morning News Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". subscribe.savannahnow.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  5. ^ "Allegiant Air". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Flight schedules and notifications". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Destinations". Avelo Airlines. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Breeze Airways".
  9. ^ a b "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Book cheap flights from Savannah, GA today | Frontier Airlines". flights.flyfrontier.com. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "JetBlue Airlines Timetable". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Southwest Airlines announces five new routes to Savannah". Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Timetable". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Route Map & Flight Schedule". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Chatham Area Transit (CAT) | DRIVE Electric USA". Drive Electric USA. 2023-08-16. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  16. ^ Timosha21 (2021-09-01). Buses in Savannah, Georgia, USA 2021. Retrieved 2024-05-23 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center | Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  18. ^ "About CAT – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  19. ^ a b System Map – CatchACat.org
  20. ^ "Savannah Tours & Attractions Packages Save Up To 35%". Old Town Trolley Tours. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  21. ^ "The Best Interactive Savannah Map For Planning Your Vacation". Old Town Trolley Tours. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  22. ^ "Savannah Belles Ferry – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  23. ^ Rigsby, G. G. "Trade center authority struggles with funding for ferries". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  24. ^ "Savannah Belles Ferry – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)". Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  25. ^ "Tour Our Boats". Savannah Riverboat. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  26. ^ "Georgia Queen". Savannah Riverboat. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  27. ^ "This One-of-a-Kind Cruise is the Best Way to Explore the Savannah River | Visit Savannah". visitsavannah.com. 2018-08-03. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
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