Savannah Bus Routes: Downtown and Beyond

Savannah’s bus network serves two different kinds of outing: moving between Historic District sights such as City Market and Forsyth Park, and travelling farther along Abercorn or out to the airport. The downtown dot shuttle and the wider Chatham Area Transit (CAT) network have different routes and timetables, so match the service to your destination before heading to a stop.

Walking or taking a bus?

Criterion	Walking	dot shuttle	Paid CAT bus
Useful for	Short Historic District outings	Downtown and its extensions	Abercorn and airport journeys
Walking effort	Whole journey on foot	Walk to and from stopsBest	Walk to and from stopsBest
Cost basis	No fareBest	No fareBest	Paid ticket

Walking is the default for short Historic District journeys, especially if you want to stop at the squares between sights. City Market to Forsyth Park is about 0.9 miles and about 22 minutes on foot. Allow longer if you pause along the way.

The dot shuttle covers downtown routes and neighbourhood extensions. Paid CAT routes reach farther out, including the Abercorn corridor and Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

The downtown dot shuttle

Fare

$0 on Route 7F Forsyth and Route 7D-C Downtown/Cloverdale

Route 7F Forsyth serves the Forsyth loop, while Route 7D-C Downtown/Cloverdale extends the downtown shuttle to Carver Village and Cloverdale.

Service and days	Hours or Eastern Wharf departures	Interval
General dot: Monday–Friday	7am–7pm operating hours	Every 10 minutes
General dot: weekends	10am–6pm operating hours	Every 10 minutes
General dot: holidays	10am–6:30pm operating hours	Every 10 minutes
7D-C: Monday–Friday	6:40am–7:25pm departures	About 15 minutes to 6:45pm, then final trip
7D-C: Saturday/holiday	6:40am–7:25pm departures	Generally 15 minutes
7D-C: Sunday	8:30am–5:45pm departures	Hourly early morning, generally 15 minutes later

The general dot hours describe the shuttle’s operating window, whereas the 7D-C times describe departures from a particular stop. Use the Eastern Wharf departure times when starting a 7D-C journey there, rather than treating the general opening time as a departure. The general interval applies across the operating window without separate daytime and evening bands.

CAT routes beyond downtown

Route 14 Abercorn connects the downtown interchange with Oglethorpe Mall along the city’s southbound shopping corridor. Route 3 West Chatham links the airport with downtown as a regular stopping bus, not a dedicated airport shuttle. For either outing, identify the departure you intend to use as well as the destination: the time spent waiting can matter more than the ride itself.

Route 14 and Route 3 stops

Boarding point	Route	Destination display	Place served	Ride
Intermodal Transit Center	14	Fulton Road Walmart	Oglethorpe Mall	about 34 minutes
Sav Airport & Airways Ave	3	Intermodal Transit Center	Downtown interchange	about 38 minutes
Intermodal Transit Center, bay 3	3	Airport-bound	Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport	—

At the Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Intermodal Transit Center, Route 14’s destination display names a terminus beyond Oglethorpe Mall, so board for the mall even though the display says Fulton Road Walmart. At the airport, use the CAT bus stop named Sav Airport & Airways Ave for the downtown-bound Route 3.

CAT’s schedules organise stops and directions by route number. In a map’s journey planner, enter your starting point, destination and departure time, then select public transport to find a boarding stop and line. Match both to your intended route rather than relying on the destination alone, because a different departure time can produce a different connection.

Route 14 and Route 3 service times

Route and days	Interchange departures: first / last	Frequency or round-trip label
14: weekdays	5:30am / —	Roughly 30-minute intervals, some 30–40-minute round trips
14: Saturday	5:30am / —	Roughly 40–45-minute round trips
3: Monday–Friday	5am / 7pm	Generally hourly: 5–9am, 1–5pm, 7–9pm
3: Saturday	5am / 7pm	Every two hours
3: holidays	5am–7pm service hours	Every two hours
3: Sunday	9:10am / 6pm	Every two hours

Route 14 adds a weekday PM Tripper from 2:59pm–6:52pm and a fourth Saturday bus from 1:45pm–5:45pm. Round-trip timings are not departure intervals. For Route 3, the last departure from the interchange is earlier than the end of weekday service. Its final Sunday return reaches downtown at 6:45pm.

Single fares and day passes

Adult product	Price	Validity	Transfer or coverage
Single fare	$1.50	One boarding	Free one-way transfer: 90 minutes
Day pass	$3.00	Day of activation	Unlimited CAT fixed-route local bus trips

Two separately paid single journeys cost $3.00, matching the day pass, and three cost $4.50, so a pass saves money with further paid rides that day. A transfer continues a one-way journey rather than covering a return outing. You do not need a pass for the dot shuttle or Savannah Belles Ferry.

Boarding and paying

Day passes are available onboard, through Token Transit for immediate mobile use, and at the Intermodal Transit Center ticket office, Monday–Friday, 7am–8pm. You need an internet connection to buy and activate a Token Transit pass, so have the app ready before boarding.

Once onboard, use the stop-request signal before the stop where you want to get off. If your chosen bus has finished running, arrange a taxi rather than waiting at the stop. Keep your arrival destination ready so the driver knows where you need to go.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: fares and charges and services.

• Chatham Area Transit (CAT) — fares and charges
• 7D-C Cloverdale and Carver Village timetable
• Chatham Area Transit Authority — service
• Frequently Asked Questions – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)
• Mobile Ticketing – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)
• Schedules – Chatham Area Transit (CAT)
• Route 3 West Chatham Schedule & Timetable
• CAT System Map Brochure