SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit celebrated a major milestone Wednesday with the dedication of its 1,000th new "Next-Gen" bus stop improvement.
The shelter at Hays Street and Mittman Street on the city's East Side is part of VIA's ongoing Passenger Amenities Improvement Program that includes the enhancement of 1,000 existing bus stops throughout the VIA service area.
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The 1,000th stop features a unique roof panel honoring the 1952 graduating class of St. Philip's College.
With the completion of the new stop, VIA now provides sheltered locations for 95 percent of boardings throughout its system, officials said.
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"The flexible modular concept allows scalability to serve differing activity needs tailored to each bus stop, and is designed to incorporate elements to reflect the cultural fabric of area parks, neighborhoods, places of interest and historic sites," VIA president and CEO Jeffrey Arndt said. "As we plan for the transportation needs of our region, we ensure that our customers' quality of life is enhanced with every project VIA pursues. Our priority is to connect our communities to opportunity and support economic vitality."
The 1,000th bus stop improvement brings the total number of sheltered stops in the VIA service area to more than 2,200, officials said.
The new Next-Gen shelter design provides comfortable, covered seating and sidewalk and ADA improvements to assist all passengers in making travel safer and connections smoother.
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In 2018, VIA will begin retrofitting Next-Gen shelters with solar-powered lighting for added comfort and visibility.
The shelter program had a total project cost of $12.4 million.