Transportation Shaping Savannah:
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/8/4/25848011/1398138465.jpg)
Pattern influencing
city growth:
- 1733-1869:
- Pedestrian Traffic
- (compact town)
- 1869-1920:
- Street Car Traffic
- 1920-1946:
- Early Automobile
- 1946- Present:
- Modern Automobile
Evolution in the modes of transportation has been a key factor shaping the structure of the city. Shown in color red in the map, the compact town and commons for the early settlers of Savannah was an area of just one square mile. Developed between 1733 and 1869, this area survived preliminary on pedestrian traffic. Depending primarily on foot for mobility, Savannah ceased to grow beyond the one square mile area and development mostly occurred by subdividing the original 60- foot lots into 20 or 30 foot lots. Also in this period, Savannah’s trade was dependent on river traffic like rafts and barges. The growth for these reason was concentrated in the vicinity of the harbor. The primary mode of inter city transportation was based on river or sea trips, which again compacted the development in a small area. With the advent of street car in 1869, the city was able to expand about two miles around the historic core of the city. The city’s Victorian district was one of the rapidly growing areas of Savannah that was influenced by the new accessibility of street cars. The steam powered rail influenced the growth of outlying communities of Savannah. The invention of electric powered street car facilitated the first suburban ring of Savannah. The second ring of suburban growth, as can be seen in the map, happened by the early automobile era in 1920s. The expansion resulted in a larger lot size and less mixed as automobile provided the benefit of accessing commercial areas with ease. The second phase of modern automobile era extended these suburbs far beyond the city limits. New municipalities and commercial areas grew outside main downtown areas to support these suburban sprawls. A new era of reduced automobile dependence and increasing mobility options is slowly emerging and producing alternative forms of development, including neo-traditional development, conservation subdivisions, high-amenity communities, interchange-oriented communities, and town centers.