Chatham Urban Transportation Study

The MPO is comprised of elected and appointed officials from Chatham County and all its municipalities as well as executives from the local, state and federal agencies concerned with transportation planning.Three standing committees serve in an advisory capacity to the MPO. They are the Technical Coordinating Committee, the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation. Working in concert, the MPO, its committees and staff carry out the 3-C planning process by continuously monitoring and evaluating the entire transportation system, and providing the forum for all government agencies, transportation providers and the public to be involved in the development of transportation plans and programs. As local conditions change, transportation plans and programs are periodically reevaluated and updated to ensure that they continue to serve the needs of the community.

The following is a synopsis of the voting composition of the MPO.

MPO Voting Members:

• Chatham County
• City of Savannah
• City of Garden City
• City of Pooler
• City of Bloomingdale
• City of Port Wentworth
• City of Tybee Island
• Town of Thunderbolt
• Town of Vernonburg
• Georgia DOT
• Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT)
• Georgia Ports Authority (GPA)
• Savannah Airport Commission
• Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC)
• Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA)
• Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
• Hunter Army Airfield
• CUTS Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
• CUTS Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation (ACAT)

The Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) is made up of key government and agency transportation staff members who are involved in technical aspects of transportation planning. The TCC reviews and evaluates all transportation studies and provides technical guidance and direction to the MPO. The TCC is comprised of technical staff members from local, state and federal agencies concerned with transportation planning.

Technical Coordinating Committee Voting Members:

• Chatham County
• City of Savannah
• City of Garden city
• City of Pooler
• City of Bloomingdale
• City of Port Wentworth
• City of Tybee Island
• Town of Thunderbolt
• Town of Vernonburg
• Georgia DOT
• Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT)
• Georgia Ports Authority (GPA)
• Savannah Airport Commission
• CSX Transportation
• Norfolk Southern Railroad
• Trucking Industry
• Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC)
• Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA)
• Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
• Hunter Army Airfield
• CUTS Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
• CUTS Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation (ACAT)
• Bicycle Advocacy Group

The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is representative of a cross-section of the community and functions as a public information and involvement committee. It reviews all CUTS programs and studies and provides recommendations to MPO. The CAC is entrusted with informing the MPO of the community’s perspective while providing information to the community about transportation policies and issues. There are 30 CAC members. Public officials in Chatham County and each of the municipalities appoint members for two-year terms.

Citizens Advisory Committee Voting Members:

• Bloomingdale (2)
• Chatham County (9)
• Garden City (2)
• Pooler (2)
• Port Wentworth (2)
• City of Savannah (7)
• Thunderbolt (2)
• Tybee Island (2)
• Vernonburg (2)

The Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation (ACAT) serves as the forum for cooperative decision-making with regard to accessible transportation related issues in Chatham County. ACAT acts as a liaison between the transportation planning process and the traditionally underserved communities in Chatham County (i.e., those communities with high concentrations of minority, low-income, disabled and elderly populations). ACAT advises the MPO as well as the Chatham Area Transit Authority and the Savannah-Chatham Council on Disability Issues on accessible transportation related issues. ACAT ensures that the transportation planning process is current and responsive to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, especially, but not limited to, the following: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); Executive Order 12898 (environmental justice); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended; and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. ACAT strives to ensure that the full panoply of transportation options is available to citizens with disabilities and the traditionally underserved.

Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation Voting Members:

• Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT)
• Chatham Association for Retarded Citizens Inc.
• Chatham County Engineering
• Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC)
• Circle of Friends
• City of Savannah
• Coastal Center for Development Services
• Economic Opportunity Authority for Savannah - Chatham County Inc.
• Georgia Council of the Blind
• Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)
• Georgia Infirmary Day Center for Rehabilitation
• Georgia Legal Services
• Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire
• Housing Authority of Savannah
• Interested Citizens
• Living Independence for Everyone (LIFE) Inc.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• National Federation of the Blind of Georgia
• Savannah Association for the Blind
• Savannah Fair Housing
• Senior Citizens Savannah - Chatham County Inc.
• TeleRide (Laidlaw Transit Services)
• United Way of the Coastal Empire