VIA to rethink street car project

Briseno: 'Streetcars is a good project'

SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit plans to ask its board to defer action on its streetcar project but isn't giving up on the transit plan.

"We still think streetcars is a good project," VIA Chairman Alex Briseno said during a news conference Friday.

The news conference came days after city and county officials said they were pulling money on the project.

Briseno said VIA plans to work with local government entities to look at future transportation projects, including street cars including streetcars and VIA Primo Rapid Transit.

"We're disappointed that we didn't communicate effectively the value of the streetcar project," Briseno said.

Just before noon on Friday, VIA officials released a statement, saying: "The official action to defer the project will take place at the August 26, 2014 meeting of the Board of Trustees. The VIA Board will also take steps to cancel the agreement with the City of San Antonio to provide $32 million in City funds for the streetcar project."

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