The CAT, Dot and Belles

We visit a city by public transportation.  We both enjoy seeing the neighborhoods and people of the city.  For me, the people and their lives are more important than architectural landmarks.

The 31 approaching.

The paddle wheeler docked .at the City Hall pier.

Savannah is a long city.  The northern boundary is the Savannah River.  This part of the city is the historic district and major tourist area.  It is served by the Dot, a free bus service that wends its way around all of the 24 squares in the city.

The river is served by the Belles, 4 ferries that connect the historic section to the convention center on the other side of the river.  Each of the Belles is named after an historic woman in Savannah history, two white, one Black and one Native American.  The Belles are part of the CAT, Chatham Area Transportation and use the CAT pass.

The CAT is the bus service for the area.  There are 19 bus routes.  The cost/ride for an adult under 65 is $1.50 one way with a free transfer.  The transfer cannot be used on the reverse route of the bus, if you use route 11 out, you cannot use your transfer to reverse ride.  For the senior the cost is 1/2 or 75 cents with proof of age, your Medicare card.  A rider can purchase a pass at the terminal in the historic district or at some libraries.

Our area, Skidaway and Bona Bella  is in the south.  It seems to me that the sidewalk ends at DeRenne and everything south of that is sidewalk-less.  Bus riders here walk well worn paths on the side of the road.  The 36 bus serves the area north of us, about a half mile walk, on an hourly schedule.  The 11 drops at the door, but serves the area Monday through Friday rush hour only.

Riding the 11 home is a hoot.  CAT buses are shorter, 2/3s as long as a Chicago bus.  The 11 drivers. all of whom needs special training, wend the bus through 3 squares, 2 hospital parking lots and a Wall Mart lot and innumerable side streets.  The ride home for us takes us through the whole route and drops us last.