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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, May 30, 2018 ] ] New CAT Buses Will Enhance Customers’Transit Experience The Deadline For Submissions For All News Is Friday 5p.m. Last Friday, the Chatham Area Transit Au thority unveiled the first of 18 new 35-ft buses being added into its fleet during a brief program showcas ing the new vehicles. For comparison, transit officials displayed one of its oldest buses in the fleet with an odometer reading of nearly 706,000 miles. The sleek new bus es, featuring wider aisles, seating for more than 30 people and standing room for up to 30 more, were as sembled by one of the tran sit industry’s premier bus manufacturers, Gillig, LLC located in Livennore, CA. As of Friday, 11 of the 18 new buses were on site. Special software and other prep work must be completed next week before the buses will be placed into service next month. “We are ecstat ic the new buses are here,” Board Chair Howard French said. “This is just the be ginning of the significant changes customers will experience within the next several months. The Board, staff and I are committed to continuous improvement and providing a great transit experience to our custom ers.” Funding for the new vehicles is the result of a successful grant appli cation to the State of Geor gia’s GO! Transit program, administered by the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). Approximately 80 percent of the SI0.7 million purchase was SRTA funding and the remaining 20 per cent was from the Chatham County Special Local Op tion Sales Tax (SPLOST). In addition to rep resentatives from SRTA, City of Savannah, Chatham County, and other commu nity leaders, today’s “Out with the Old/In with the New” buses celebration featured comments from two of CAT’s frequent rid ers. Cameron Morrison, who has been riding the service for about two years now made the following comments today during the event. “I have been rid ing the bus mainly on the weekends to the mall or the movies because it’s easy and it makes my mom feel better about my safety. She knows the schedule because we have the app so she knows what time I will get to the mall or the movies, and what time I will come home,” Morrison said. “I plan to ride more this sum mer because I will be work ing at the mall. Teenagers like me want the freedom to ride transit throughout the community and it is great that we can now take these trips on new buses,” Morri son added. The transit author ity’s CEO Curtis Koleber and other CAT Board mem bers also participated in bus celebration and thanked the many supporters who have advocated for such improve ments. “Tliis is a great day for our transit agency and the community. We are taking extremely old equip ment, past the industry’s standard of useful life, out of the fleet and replacing these nearly antique buses with new state-of-the-art vehicles,” Koleber said. “With this vehicle purchase, and the one for 28 new CAT Mobility vans, and our oth er strategic plans, we are moving toward the goal of high quality services that I know our staff is capable of providing to the citizens and visitors of Chatham Coun ty-” Last year’s annual combined ridership for the transit agency’s fixed route buses, CAT Mobility ser vices for people with dis- In Coving Memory Mr Jonathan Charlton Alexander, Sr Dear Ihid, Wc Ihnlight of you today, btn thill is n[jilting new. Wc though! ttboul you yesterday and days bcfoTC that too. Wc think of you in silcncc. Wc oflch speak your namc. All we have arc memories & a picture in a frame, your memory is a keepsake, from which we'll never purl, God lias you in his arms, wc Iieivc you in our hearts. You departed this life May 25, 2UIIK Sadly missed by your son, Jonathan Alexander, Jr.f your ''daughter, Siuirott Chalmers mtd grandchildren: Jonathan Alexander III ami Sheryl Alexander. Please Send All Community Announcements and Church News to Sharon^s avannahtribune. com abilities, and water ferries totaled nearly 4 million pas senger trips. fh ^ OFF OF ANY SERVICE 1 321 E. Montgomery Crossroads, Savannah, GA 31406 | (912) 925-9515 St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church Exceptional Women’s Ministry Tea Patobu, On Saturday, May 5,2018, ihc Rosalind M. Kent Exceptional Women Ministry of St. James AMF Church hosted its first Ladies Tea Party. The Wilson-Host ic Complex was a sea of beauty with table dee oral ions in an array of colors and ihc ladies attired in the colors or (heir tables wearing hats to match The afternoon was spent in enjoyable activities, praise, lunch, a parade of hats, readings, songs and the awarding of door prizes. // '/ j Delores Washing)on & Durothv Wilson A tribute was paid to the late Rev. Rosalind M. Kent, who organized ihc Exceptional Women M iristry during her pastorate at St, James. The tribute emphasized her motto “AI3C - Always He Culc" as a women of God. Sis Saundra Scott, the new First Lady of Si. Junes hosted several other fust ladies of the city as her special guests. Rev. Felicia A. Alston and Sis. Salathia White served as co-chairpersons of the Tea. Rev. Anthony Scott is llie Pastor SAVAMABIAm TURN TO S1DMEY A. 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