SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit held a public forum to let residents weigh in on six street car route options but received little input regarding the routes. Instead, many of the speakers spoke in support or opposition of the street car idea.
"We voted it down twice and here it again and we're not being allowed to vote on it," said George Rodriguez representing the South Texas Alliance.
"It's being shoved down our throats," added Mel Feldman who moved to San Antonio from New York City.
Just over two dozen speakers addressed the VIA board. Most of the early speakers were against the project and called into question the board's motives as well as alleged lack of transparency regarding operating costs.
"You have not looked at the cost of owning and operating a street car," said resident Dick Slife. "Nobody has shared these numbers with the city."
"That information is there and some of the figures that are being touted day in and day out at different meetings are just inaccurate," said Charlie Gonzalez, former Congressman who now works with VIA.
A majority of the later speakers spoke in favor of the plan and it received support from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and city museums.
"These projects will allow us more options to give us more mobility and to stimulate more jobs and economic development," said Ramiro Cavazos, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
"This public transportation project is the missing link to maximize the economic, cultural and environmental impact on what Mayor Castro has dubbed the city's corridor of creativity," added Ralph Voight of the Witte Museum.
The board could make a final decision on which route to proceed with by August.
For a list of recent stories Charles Gonzalez has done, click here.