SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor asked city staff Monday to draw up an ordinance withdrawing city money from VIA's proposed streetcar project.
Taylor made the announcement during Monday afternoon's specially-called City Council meeting.
"The current proposal is very unpopular and we certainly believe that there needs to be community consensus on a comprehensive multi-modal transportation plan," said Taylor. "The city of San Antonio is asking for VIA to rethink and redevelop a transportation proposal that could be taken to the voters for consideration at a future time."
The controversial proposal has divided the city for months. Earlier this month the Streetcar Vote Coalition turned in nearly 27,000 signatures on a petition calling for a vote on the $280 million project. The group is still waiting to hear from the City Clerk's office on whether its proposed charter amendment will appear on the November ballot, but officials called the announcement a victory.
"Today was a stunning success. It was a great victory for a coalition of broad based individuals across every demographic in our community," said Street Car Vote Coalition Campaign Manager Greg Brockhouse. "We should commend the City Council and of course our new mayor, Ivy Taylor, for taking a step back and saying, ‘We need to listen to the people on this.'"
The city was set to pledge $32 million to the project. That money will now be spent on a variety of other projects in the city's urban core.
Taylor also instructed city staff to include language in the ordinance that would require a public vote before the City Council approves a streetcar project.
District 9 Councilman Joe Krier, who led the charge to get a vote on the project, applauded the announcement.
"What we've seen today from the mayor and her leadership is something that says we are not going to build the streetcar project unless there is a public vote," Krier said.
Late Monday afternoon, the city released this statement in regards to the VIA streetcar project.
Later, VIA itself responded, saying, "VIA is aware of the action taken this afternoon by the San Antonio City Council. The VIA Board of Trustees will meet Thursday, July 31 at 3 p.m. to discuss the details regarding the action taken and will not comment further until the VIA Board of Trustees have an opportunity to formally meet on this matter."
Taylor was joined by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff during an impromptu press conference to explain the decision. Wolff is a staunch supporter of the streetcar project, but he supports the city's decision.
"Today's decision offers elected officials, VIA, and the public more time to discuss the merits of a multi-modal option in the context of a robust multi-modal transportation plan," said Wolff. "I spent five years of my life on this and we weren't able to do it. You win some, you lose some. We lost this one."
When asked if the project was dead Wolff said, "It looks pretty dead to me."