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VIA Metropolitan Transit will hold a second round of public input meetings in June and July aimed at continuing the community conversation about the planned Advanced Rapid Transit corridor, which would run from the San Antonio International Airport to south of downtown.
Feedback gathered at public meetings and through online comment forms continue to help inform the design process for Advanced Rapid Transit, or ART. The ART project is designed to deliver new, frequent, fast and reliable public transportation that moves more people faster and farther. The project is part of VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan, for which voters approved funding in November 2020.
VIA will host meetings in June and July at:
- 9:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, June 25, at Blessed Sacrament, 600 Oblate
- 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 29, at the Norris Conference Center, 618 NW Loop 410
- 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 12, at Hermann Sons, 525 S. St. Mary’s St.
Rapid transit options help connect more people to jobs and training, goods and services and education. ART vehicles traveling in dedicated lanes save time and simplify trips, enhance service and safety for all users and provide more transportation options in San Antonio. The first ART corridor would run from the airport along San Pedro Avenue through downtown and connect with continuing service near Mission Concepción.
Along the approximately 12-mile-long corridor, ART would offer improved trip options for nearly 54,000 residents and 108,000 jobs.
VIA held its first round of public meetings on the ART project in March.
“Public input that provides insight into the customer and community experience is essential to any VIA project,” President and CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “We look forward to continuing the conversation, offering updates on the project’s progress, and hearing from residents as we continue to move forward on San Antonio’s first rapid transit service.”
As San Antonio continues its rapid growth, more frequent and reliable transportation options for residents and visitors are key to our community’s success.
The ART project has provided access to specific federal funds reserved for regions that are developing projects like VIA’s ART system. The $320 million project was recommended to receive $158 million in federal investments and is the only Texas project included in President Joe Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget and a first for San Antonio.
Nearly a year ago, VIA received approval to enter the ART project into the Capital Investment Grants Program — one of the federal government’s largest funding programs. Earlier this year, the project received a “medium-high” favorable rating, the second-highest rating possible.
“When San Antonio voters said yes to VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan, they signaled the community’s readiness for modern, convenient and innovative solutions like Advanced Rapid Transit,” Arndt said. “We’re working hand-in-hand with customers and the community, via public meetings, to design and deliver a system that helps put opportunity within reach for everyone.”
VIA will continue to host in-person and digital events designed to engage more people in the project’s progress. To learn more about ART and the Keep SA Moving plan, visit KeepSAmoving.com.
