A new shuttle service from VIA Metropolitan Transit aims to make it easier for air travel, according to a recent announcement from the public transit system.
Bus service to the San Antonio International Airport is now available from the Stone Oak Park & Ride, located at U.S. Highway 281 and Stone Oak Parkway on the far North Side.
Service is available weekdays every 30 minutes between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Travelers can park their car free at the VIA facility and board a bus for express service to the airport. The fare each way is $2.60 per person, paid in cash or via a mobile app.
The service is intended to offer air travelers an alternative to parking a car at the airport during the busy summer travel months when the airport’s parking lots often fill up. VIA has not set an end date for the service.
“The rapid increase in travel to and from our airport points to the need for more and better multimodal-friendly options,” stated Jeffrey Arndt, VIA president and CEO. “By providing overnight parking for our customers flying out of town, VIA continues to set the standard for customer service and mobility enhancements.”
Parking spaces in the facility have been designated for the VIA Park and Airport service and on-site security is provided.
Express Service Route 7 departs from the first floor of the facility. The nonstop trip to the airport takes about 15 to 20 minutes, according to the announcement from VIA, and drops passengers just outside the baggage claim area at Terminal B.
Return trips depart from the same location for the same $2.60 bus fare.
Airport officials say weekly passenger counts have jumped to over 16,000 in June as the busy summer travel season gets going.
That’s led to a parking crunch with both garages and surface lots reaching capacity several days a week since the first of June.
“We anticipate more travelers during the peak July Fourth holiday period,” said Tonya Hope, public information officer for the airport system.
Long-term parking at the airport costs $16 a day and the average stay is 3.5 days.
VIA has no plans at this time to add the service from its transit centers in other areas of the city, a spokesman said.
“We’ve got the capacity and the ability to run the service out of the Stone Oak Park & Ride and the proximity with the existing routes … and it’s kind of a unique situation that allows us to do so,” said Josh Baugh, communications director for VIA.
“We’re always looking at ways that we can better serve our community with our funding. I can’t say that we’re looking right now at any other specific locations, but there’s always opportunity for us as demand grows.”
The Stone Oak Park & Ride waiting area is air-conditioned and offers real-time bus information. The facility has four electric car-charging stations.
