Savannah Arts Academy senior Marshall Shane wakes at 5:15 a.m. most mornings so they can catch a Chatham Area Transit (CAT) bus to school. After getting ready and eating breakfast, Shane embarks on the 15-minute walk through their Wilshire Estates neighborhood and across Abercorn Street to a nearby bus stop just south of Wilshire Boulevard. During the walk, their black satchel clunks against their side as they trudge along dimly lit roads well ahead of sunrise.
The street lamp by the number 14 CAT stop has been out since at least mid-February, according to Shane. That might not have been much of an issue prior to the time change for daylight savings, but now they wait in the dark save for the nearby glow of parking lot lights from a Parker’s Kitchen and a Walmart.
Some mornings the bus arrives on time. Some mornings it’s late ― sometimes by more than half an hour. Some mornings the CAT Tracker application shows a bus is on its way, but according to Shane, that may not actually be the case. Uber can sometimes be an option for Shane when its not between $30 and $40 at 6 a.m.
Whether the bus is early, on-time or late matters. Due to the uncertainty, Shane must budget for about three total commuting hours each day for a round trip of approximately 12 miles. That does not account for countless minutes throughout their school day spent “getting stressed about transportation.”
Savannah schools attendance report: Are there consequences for not showing up?
Savannah Arts senior relies on public transportation to get to school
Due to limited transportation options Marshall Shane endures a pre-dawn walk and waits at a dark bus stop to catch a CAT bus just to get to school.
Transportation always on their mind
Shane is zoned for Windsor Forest High School, 12419 Largo Drive. “Windsor for me is, like, a 24-minute walk,” they said. However, they pursued a more desirable path through Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s (SCCPSS) Choice Program to attend Savannah Arts Academy, which is approximately six miles from their home.
The school’s morning bell time is 7:40 a.m. On days when Shane’s morning CAT is running behind and Shane arrives late, they are given a tardy. One teacher suggested they get on an earlier bus.
“The bus starts running at 5 a.m. and that’s from downtown,” they said. “By the time I get to the bus stop, it’s the first turnaround bus. There’s no way for me to get on an earlier bus.”
Even if there were an earlier bus, they would have to wake up by at least 4:30 a.m.
“When I was in elementary and middle school, if our school bus was late, we would be exempt from a tardy…because it wasn’t our fault,” Shane said. Ever since SCCPSS ended bus service for choice schools, students are liable for being late whether the public transit option is on time or not. SCCPSS recently changed its prom policy concerning tardies, as well. Too many and students can’t go to prom. Shane is concerned they will not be able to attend.
Shane’s first year of high school was spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then their father drove them to school during sophomore and junior years. “That was becoming an unfeasible thing for him to do because he has to take my stepmom to work,” they said. Shane has a one-car household. So, they started taking CAT toward the end of their junior year to alleviate the burden on their parents. Only as of February were they able to benefit from CAT’s Student Zero-Fare Pilot Program, which launched on Jan. 29.
Two days a week, Shane’s schedule allows them to leave Savannah Arts early between11:40 a.m. and 12 p.m. Transportation on those days is less of a concern because the buses run more consistently in the early afternoon. On Shane’s late days, however, when Shane is not able to secure a ride from a friend and lacks fund for an Uber, they ride CAT. The No. 14 Abercorn typically arrives at Washington Avenue and Abercorn Street around 2:45 p.m. heading south. Savannah Arts lets out at 2:40 p.m. Shane’s walk from Savannah Arts to the bus stop is about 10 minutes. More often than not, they miss the bus.
“I usually wait until 3:30 p.m. for the next one,” they said.
From morning through the afternoon, the stress of scheduling around the CAT bus drives Shane to seek out rides from friends whenever they can. “I spend a lot of days worrying how I’m going to get home.”
‘Not the safest option’
Shane uses the bus to get to and from their job at a restaurant on the southside, as well. Though they typically work 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. a few days a week. Depending on workload, some nights can extend to almost 10 p.m. When they get home from work on school nights they typically go right to bed in order to rest for the early commute ahead of them.
“I’m currently working to get a down payment for a car,” they said. “My stepmom is going to help me finance because I’m trying to go to college in Statesboro, and we have no bus system that runs that way.” They want to study in Ogeechee Technical College’s Funeral Service Education program. “I’m going to be a mortician.”
Shane’s extensive use of public transportation has provided many opportunities for a closer look at pros but also some glaring cons.
They do not believe the CAT system is the safest option for high school students. “It’s more understandable for college kids since more of them are technically adults,” they said, observing that drivers along the route “only talk to passengers, when a they haven’t paid their fair or are listening to music without headphones.”
Shane said they barely acknowledge that they are a student.
Shane claims to have been “cat-called relentlessly” at various times. They have witnessed other students being cat-called, as well. They contend that the drivers did not intervene. They recounted being followed after exiting the bus one day. They tried to avoid the person but eventually had to hide inside of a Parker’s until their father could get a moment to come pick them up.
Shane did admit that they have not filed any complaints or reached out to CAT officials to share their experiences. CAT does have a comment form on its contact webpage.
With all the time spent waiting for or on buses, one would think homework could at least be done during that time. “I don’t see the bus as feasible for myself,” they said. “I prefer to be quiet by myself and at my desk, but some people, they can work in a room full of people.”
They did acknowledge that two SCCPSS freshman sometimes take the bus, and Shane has observed those students doing work on their laptops part of the ride. “Writing while I move is not something I can do. And if it’s crowded and it’s loud, there’s no way I’m gonna be able to get work done,” they said.
Another issue with the public transit from Shane’s point of view is cleanliness. “Some of the buses are a little newer, so they are a little cleaner, but I know that bus floors are dirty and sticky,” they said.
During a recent trip, they noticed that a panel behind where the driver sits was all rusted. “I don’t know if that should be rusted. I have no idea what’s behind it,” they said.
A silver lining on the exhaust cloud?
While using public transportation as a high school student may present some challenges, Shane agreed that they have learned some valuable life skills.
“I’m really good with directions and more aware of how the town is built up,” they said. They also learned how to navigate bus schedules and have become more acquainted parts of town they would not have otherwise ventured to if not for the CAT system. “I know how to get from the gym from Oglethorpe. I know how to get to the islands. I know how to get to Savannah High [School]. I don’t know anyone that goes to Savannah High but I know how to get there.”
They said that their extended family is from New York, where Shane was considering going to school at some point in the future. “If I ever wanted to go to New York, I’d be better getting around,” they said. They advocated for spending $3 on an all day pass to venture around Savannah on the bus. “It’s going to show you a lot more and that’s cool.”
While Shane sees the value and life lessons in taking public transit they do feel that the buses should be cleaner. “I think they should be safer and I think they should be more reliable because, God forbid, I get off at a bus stop and then the the next bus is supposed to be there in 15 minutes but it comes an hour later. Now my entire day is an hour pushed back. So it really matters.”
CAT’s Zero-Fare program strictly a supplement
A’riel Johnson, CAT’s public information and communications officer, and Mary Moskowitz, CAT’s chief planning, infrastructure and development officer stressed that CAT’s Zero-Fare program should be seen as a supplement for SCCPSS families. The program is not intended to replace SCCPSS transportation services. CAT has a list of roughly 50 SCCPSS schools and educational centers located within approximately half a mile or less of route stops. Some schools, while listed, are outside the transit district.
Johnson acknowledged that choosing CAT services may not be ideal for every student as some schools are farther from stops than others. “Some parents have expressed that it’s a 15- to 20-minute walk,” she said. She also acknowledged that schedules do not always align with school bell times, as is the case for Shane.
CAT’s Zero Fare program is for any local K-12 and college students. University and college students can use a valid student ID from their institution as a pass. K-12 students, like Shane, must first complete the online registration form. Once the form is completed, students receive a printable pass via email that they can show when getting on city buses.
The form essentially asks for the studen’ts name and their school’s name along with a contact’s name phone number.
Moskowitz said the program grew out of the recent completion of CAT’s Master Transit Plan. The development of the plan required what Moskowitz said was “a lot of stakeholder interviews, community outreach and pop-up events.”
That engagement led to feedback that identified transportation barriers effecting students’ abilities to access education. CAT had provided programs in the past that provided service to college students. Moskowitz said CAT was looking to expand that type of service.
So, the bus system decided to include K-12 students in the equation. “We want to see where that ridership is coming from…and then we can take that information to develop better service and provide connectivity,” she said. She also mentioned that CAT’s paratransit service is now also free for students, but it has a different sign up process and additional eligibility requirements.
Registration for the program has been open since Jan. 17, 2024. The program runs through May 31, 2024. Students can register any time between now and the final day. For its part, CAT plans to provide data updates to SCCPSS at a midway point and after the pilot term ends.
In the meantime, Shane will continue to rise early and hope for smooth travels as they complete their pivotal senior year.
The Savannah Morning News will continue covering public school transportation options that families are exploring due to the SCCPSS driver shortage. The district’s data from the September board meeting report, Stewardship of Transportation, has shown that SCCPSS only has about 193 drivers available each day to cover 205 routes. The district has seen a drop in total number of drivers by more 100 since 2019.
If you are a SCCPSS student that is 18 years of age or a parent/guardian of a K-12 student who uses, or is planning to use, the CAT system and you wish to share your experience please contact us.
Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.
