In 2022, InfraStrategies supported Chatham Area Transit (CAT) with the ​development of financial strategies to support and inform the development of ​CAT’s fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget. This assessment focused on achieving two ​primary near-term objectives: (1) address CAT’s pending fiscal cliff, and (2) ​fund CAT’s priority capital projects and initiatives. The funding “toolbox” and ​the team’s recommended strategies served as an important foundation to a ​more detailed financial analysis in the Master Transit Plan. As a result of this ​initial work, CAT pursued and secured over $14 million in new funding for the ​agency. InfraStrategies supported CAT with the development of a successful ​application to the FY 2022 Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing ​Transportation (SMART) Grants Program, which will provide $1.2 million for an ​innovative partnership to introduce first mile-last mile microtransit service in ​the Savannah area.

In 2023, InfraStrategies supported CAT with the completion of its Master ​Transit Plan, a partnership with Chatham Connects. The Master Transit Plan ​outlined mobility strategies and funding strategies to help shape a bolder, ​newer vision of public transit. As part of this work, InfraStrategies created the ​agency’s first financial model, several financial scenarios, cost and revenue ​estimates, and regularly briefed the Board and agency leadership on key ​financial findings. As the agency’s remaining COVID-19 relief funds are ​expended, CAT will use the recommendations in the Master Transit Plan to ​transform how transit is funded and envisioned in Chatham County. The final ​report can be accessed here.