CAT

What CAT does

Chatham Area Transit (CAT) is a public transit authority established in 1987 that provides multi-modal public transportation services across Chatham County, Georgia, primarily serving Savannah and surrounding communities including Port Wentworth, Garden City, and Pooler. The agency operates a portfolio of services including fixed-route bus service, ADA-compliant paratransit (CAT Mobility), the zero-fare Savannah Belles Ferry connecting River Street to the Savannah Convention Center on Hutchinson Island, the Downtown DOT Shuttle for visitors, and on-demand microtransit pilots (CAT SMART Transit and CAT Connect for seniors). The digital layer includes the proprietary CATTracker real-time bus tracking application and Token Transit-powered mobile ticketing.

CAT is structured as a government state entity under Georgia law rather than a private corporation. Its operating budget is funded through a combination of federal grants (predominantly from the Federal Transit Administration), state appropriations, local government contributions, and farebox revenue. The agency employs 251–500 staff and operates across more than 1,000 bus stops. Pricing is hybrid: standard fare routes coexist with an expanding set of zero-fare programs covering Election Day transit, Transit Equity Day, select holidays, K–12 students via the Student Pass Program in partnership with SCCPSS, the Savannah Belles Ferry, and the Downtown DOT Shuttle. Revenue mechanics are not commercially oriented but rather mission-driven and grant-dependent, with the most material funding events being a $1.66 billion FTA Low or No Emission Vehicle Program grant (2022), a $1.2 million SMART Grant (2023), and a $7.8 million FTA grant (July 2024).

CAT's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer transit delivery with a heavy public-sector partnership overlay, including alliances with the City of Savannah, SCCPSS, FUSE Executive Fellows Program, APTA, and Georgia's U.S. Senators. Governance was restructured in July 2025 under Georgia House Bill 756 (Act 323), resulting in a new Board of Directors with Detric Leggett as Chair and Kelvin D. Moore as Vice-Chair. Stephanie Cutter, previously CFO and then Interim CEO since June 2024, was named permanent CEO in February 2026.

Name

CAT

Legal name

Chatham Area Transit Authority

Website

https://catchacat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chatham Area Transit (CAT) is a public transit authority providing fixed-route buses, paratransit, ferry, and microtransit services to Chatham County, Georgia residents and visitors, funded primarily through federal FTA grants and government appropriations rather than commercial revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Transportation Services: CAT operates as a public transit authority funded primarily through government appropriations, federal grants (including FTA funding), and farebox revenue. Services include fixed-route buses, paratransit, ferries, and microtransit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CAT operates a multi-modal public transit system across Chatham County and Savannah, Georgia, providing fixed-route bus service, ADA-compliant paratransit (CAT Mobility), zero-fare microtransit pilots (CAT SMART Transit), senior on-demand service (CAT Connect), a downtown shuttle (DOT), and the Savannah Belles Ferry. Digital rider tools include the CATTracker real-time bus tracking application and Token Transit-based mobile ticketing.

Product overview

Chatham Area Transit (CAT) is a public transportation authority serving Chatham County, Georgia, offering a multi-modal transit system. The portfolio consists of Fixed Route bus services, CAT Mobility paratransit for persons with disabilities, CAT SMART Transit on-demand multimodal pilot, CAT Connect senior-focused on-demand service, Downtown DOT zero-fare shuttles, and the Savannah Belles Ferry water transit. Supporting digital tools include CATTracker real-time tracking and Token Transit mobile ticketing. Services operate on a combination of standard fares and zero-fare pilot programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAT Mobility: Paratransit service for eligible persons with disabilities in Chatham County in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
• CAT SMART Transit
• CAT Connect
• Downtown DOT Shuttle
• Savannah Belles Ferry
• CATTracker
• CAT CUB

Products and services

• Fixed Route Bus Service CAT's network of buses linking historic downtown Savannah with greater Chatham County, providing an easy, efficient, safe, and inexpensive method of transit for the general public.
• CAT Mobility Paratransit ADA-compliant paratransit service for eligible persons with disabilities in Chatham County, providing origin-to-destination transportation in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• CAT SMART Transit Microtransit A zero-fare pilot program featuring an on-demand multimodal transportation system in a specific zone within Chatham County.
• CAT Connect Senior On-Demand Service A free on-demand service exclusively crafted for seniors aged 60+ in Chatham County, ADA accessible, operating five days a week.
• Downtown DOT Shuttle Zero-fare shuttle comprised of two loops (Forsyth and Downtown) connecting residents and visitors to Savannah's visitor centers, parking facilities, area attractions, shops, restaurants and hotels.
• Savannah Belles Ferry Zero-fare ferry service linking River Street to Hutchinson Island, home of the Savannah Convention Center, by providing free passage across the Savannah River.
• Mobile Ticketing (Token Transit) Mobile ticketing platform allowing riders to purchase tickets and passes digitally via smartphone through the Token Transit app.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero-fare transportation to polling locations on Election Day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dream Big FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Partnership to launch Storytime on the Move, a community literacy initiative for youth. The program takes place on CAT vehicles to promote reading and transportation awareness among children.
• Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2024Partnership to provide free K-12 student transportation through the Student Pass Program, allowing students to use fixed-route and paratransit services at no cost.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA)minorOthers · 1 June 2023APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas visited CAT in June 2023 to discuss transit initiatives and budget planning. CAT participates in APTA events including Try Transit Week.
• FUSE (Executive Fellows Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing local government capacity to build equitable communities. An Executive Fellow Gloria Wesley was appointed to lead CAT's electrified public transit expansion initiatives.
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)coreOthersFederal agency providing grant funding for CAT projects including the $7.8 million grant for infrastructure improvements and $1.66 billion Low or No Emission Vehicle Program Grant.
• City of SavannahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity sponsors zero-fare service during St. Patrick's Day celebrations and other events. Partnership for passenger and operator safety awareness initiatives.
• S2S Facts Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for emergency preparedness workshop to spread hurricane preparedness awareness to CAT riders and staff.
• Humane Society for Greater SavannahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for free pet food giveaway event at CAT Central, supporting local residents.
• U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael WarnockcoreOthersGeorgia Senators secured $1.2 million SMART Grant for electric vehicle microtransit project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA): Multi-modal transit authority in Jacksonville, FL offering bus, paratransit, ferry (St. Johns River Ferry), and the Jacksonville Skyway. Highly comparable because of the similar mix of bus, ferry, and paratransit services, similar Southeast US operating context, and similar funding profile.
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART): Public transit authority serving the Tampa, FL region with fixed-route bus, paratransit, and streetcar. Comparable as a mid-size Florida transit authority with similar federal grant dependency, microtransit pilots, and zero-fare programs for equity populations.
• VIA Metropolitan Transit: Public transit agency serving San Antonio, TX with bus, paratransit, and on-demand microtransit via VIA Link. Comparable because of similar agency size, fixed-route plus on-demand microtransit model, and federal grant-driven electrification plans.
• Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA): Public transit authority serving the Charleston, SC metropolitan area with fixed-route bus, paratransit, and downtown shuttles. Closest geographic and operational analog to CAT, both being mid-size Southeast transit authorities funded through federal grants and local appropriations with multi-modal offerings.
• Sun Tran: Tucson, AZ's public transit operator offering fixed-route bus, paratransit (Sun Van), and on-demand services. Comparable as a mid-size municipal transit system with a multi-modal portfolio similar in scope to CAT's bus plus paratransit plus microtransit.

Others

• Token Transit: Mobile ticketing platform partner used by CAT for fare purchases. Relevant as a technology vendor/p ecosystem partner enabling CAT's mobile ticketing capability; comparable to other transit-tech vendors in the CAT operating stack.

Emerging players

• Spare: Microtransit and paratransit software platform used by public transit agencies to operate on-demand zones. Comparable because CAT's CAT SMART Transit (microtransit) and CAT Connect (senior on-demand) pilots operate a similar demand-response model that platforms like Spare enable.

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA): Georgia's largest public transit operator, providing bus, rail, and paratransit across metro Atlanta. Comparable because it shares CAT's state-level operating context, federal funding ecosystem, and zero-fare/community programming, but operates at significantly larger scale and includes rail.
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Large multi-modal transit operator (Metrorail, Metrobus, paratransit) in the Washington, DC region. Relevant as a broader incumbent in the US public transit space; offers overlapping capabilities and similar federal funding dynamics but at much greater scale and with rail.

Regional players

• LYMMO (LYNX): Orlando's downtown electric bus circulator operated by LYNX. Comparable in offering a zero-fare downtown circulator shuttle and being embedded in a tourism-heavy downtown, similar to CAT's Downtown DOT Shuttle and Savannah Belles Ferry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/catchacat
• Xx.com/ChathamTransit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAT