Author: Doug Drake

In honor of Earth Day, CAT is offering FREE RIDES all day on all fixed-route buses. Save time, money, gas and the planet by riding public transit.

Did you know that public transit is 10x safer than traveling by car? You’re 90% less likely to be in an accident on public transit.

Did you know that the average person can save over $10,000 every year by switching to public transit?

Did you know that a 10-mile commute on existing transit vs. driving in a car alone saves 20lbs of CO2 emissions per day?

Try Transit and save time! Work, study or just relax and reclaim that time wasted behind the wheel when you ride transit.

We’ve made changes and upgrades to our CATConnect rider program to serve you better.
Automated Reminders
Riders receive an interactive voice response call the night before and day of scheduled rides.
New Payment Option
Riders can create an account and make deposits to avoid carrying cash or worrying about ride fares.
APP Is Coming Soon!
A new mobile app that makes booking, canceling and paying for a trip easier for our riders is coming soon!

CAT turned 20 in Febraury 2021! Collier Area Transit (CAT) celebrated 20 years of service in Collier County. A special celebration was held at CAT’s headquarters at 8300 Radio Road. The theme of CAT’s 20th Anniversary celebration was 20 Years of Movement, which included a Transportation Show, displaying various forms of transportation throughout the years. The public was invited to attend.

Collier County’s Deputy County Manager, Mr. Dan Rodriguez, was the Masters of Ceremony, with Commissioner Rick Lo Castro, District 2, giving Opening Remarks, an Invocation by Pastor Grant Thigpen, and “America the Beautiful” and “The National Anthem” sung by students of Gulf Coast Charter Academy South. Speakers also included Mr. Jamie French, Public Services Department Head, Ms. Michelle Arnold, Director of Public Transit and Neighborhood Enhancement and Mr. Omar De Leon, Transit Manager.

Collier Area Transit began service in February 2001, with seven trolley-wrapped buses traveling five fixed routes, six days a week. Today, CAT services 18 fixed-routes, 1 beach route, 1 express bus route and over 580 bus stops throughout Collier County. CAT has provided over 18.4 million cumulative trips to residents and visitors since 2001. CAT also provides door-to-door service for those with disabilities, who are unable to use the fixed-route system, through it’s CAT Connect Paratransit service.

Collier Area Transit’s (CAT) Beach Bus, the Paradise Beach Trolley, is back for the season and will shuttle passengers from the Conner Park Parking Lot on Bluebill Avenue to Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park and to Vanderbilt Beach, starting Friday, February 14th through Sunday, April 27, 2025, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Paradise Beach Trolley will consist of a free trolley traveling on Vanderbilt Drive from Vanderbilt Beach to Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park stopping at Conner Park, to pick up beachgoers. All beach-related items are welcome on-board the trolley.

The Beach Bus service will also run for the entire week of Collier County’s Spring Break, from Monday, March 10th- Sunday, March 16th, 2025, as well as the entire week leading up to Easter Sunday, from Monday, April 14th- Sunday, April 20th, 2025.

The Paradise Beach Trolley will operate from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, then again from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The FREE service will be offered Fridays through Sundays with approximately a 30 minute frequency. Catch a FREE ride every weekend on CAT’s Paradise Beach Trolley and view in real-time the trolley’s location on the Transit app by viewing Route 29 or by viewing the real-time route information located on rideCAT.com.