City Talk: Chatham Area Transit's shuttle expansion raises questions about equity

This is the City Talk column by Bill Dawers, a longtime contributor to the Savannah Morning News.

In the relatively near future, Chatham Area Transit is expected to expand the fare-free “dot” shuttle to Victory Drive. The extended route will include at least a couple of stops on Whitaker Street and several on Drayton Street.

My neighbors in the Thomas Square neighborhood seem virtually unanimous in their support for the expansion, and the service will no doubt be a big hit in terms of ridership.

Of course, as I noted in a 2021 column, no one should be surprised that tourists and locals embrace transit when it is efficient, frequent and free.

Dot service has been ending at 7 p.m. since operations were restored as the pandemic receded, but the hours seem likely to be extended later into the evening, which will no doubt attract new cohorts of riders.

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While the expanded route certainly brings a nice public amenity to the neighborhood, there are several obvious downsides.

For starters, some area residents will park on side streets near shuttle stops so that they can avoid driving into downtown and having to pay for parking, as folks are doing now near the shuttle stop at the south end of Forsyth Park.

The new dynamics will likely put parking stress on numerous blocks between Bull and Abercorn streets, some of which already lack enough spaces to satisfy demand from residents, workers and patrons of nearby businesses.

The expanded shuttle route will then have the impact of increasing the likelihood of metered parking along the Bull and Abercorn corridors south to Victory Drive.

The expansion of dot shuttle service will also complicate any efforts to calm traffic on Drayton and Whitaker streets by removing a vehicular travel lane, adding a bike lane or adding on-street parking. The new route could also lead to unsafe conditions related to visibility and to the lack of crosswalks.

But these issues pale beside the larger questions of equity related to the shuttle.

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With the expansion of the dot, officials with the City of Savannah and CAT are doubling down on their commitment to prioritize free transportation for tourists and for residents of increasingly affluent historic neighborhoods.

Officials might respond by arguing that the funding and service are all part of one piece. Downtown parking revenues support the dot, which then reduces downtown congestion and parking demand.

However, most riders would be willing to pay for the shuttle, which would make funds available for other services.

Even as the dot expansion allows neighborhood residents and tourists to be ferried for free, some Savannahians who live outside the downtown area will be a block away on Abercorn Street, are waiting for up to 30 minutes to pay $1.50 to get on the 14 bus.

Mayor Van Johnson and the current members of council were swept into office after campaigns promising more equitable policies. They have a lot of work to do before next year’s campaigns.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Shuttle expansion in downtown Savannah raises questions about equity