VIA prepares for first ART line, but lacks funding for a second corridor
Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) is essentially large buses, typically running in designated lanes. With a new bus arriving every 10 to 15 minutes, and riders paying before they get on, VIA officials say it offers the benefits of a rail line at a lower cost.
Public can weigh in on whether to fund dozens of proposed San Antonio transportation projects
More than $300 million in funding is available for projects aimed at reducing congestion and improving air quality, and the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization wants to know where the public thinks the money should be spent.
VIA still offering free transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites
VIA Metropolitan Transit continues to offer free transportation for anyone traveling to or from an appointment at a city or county-sponsored COVID-19 vaccination site, including the Alamodome and the Wonderland of the Americas mall.
VIA to host virtual job fair for bus operator, mechanic positions
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit will host a virtual job fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, March 4, to recruit bus operators and mechanics. The virtual job fair can be accessed by phone or on Zoom. AdTo participate in the job fair, interested persons should do the following:Submit an application online . Interested persons may apply after the job fair and their applications will still be reviewed and considered. Go online between 9 a.m. and noon on March 4 to join the job fair online, on Zoom or by phone.
VIA suspends service through Thursday due to dangerous road conditions
SAN ANTONIO – Updated: 4:30 p.m. WednesdayVIA Metropolitan Transit has suspended all service through Thursday due to unsafe roads and highways, the transportation agency announced. VIA plans to resume service on Friday, if weather and road conditions improve. Customer Information lines are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., while service is suspended. Stay InformedAs always, Your Weather Authority team will keep you updated. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App - available for both Apple and Android devices.
Passengers have longer wait times at VIA Transit bus stops due to icy roads, wintry conditions
SAN ANTONIO – Passengers relying on public transportation experienced longer wait times Sunday morning due to icy roads that forced some VIA Metropolitan Transit drivers to pull over. Charles Davidson usually rides route 97 from the Mary Louise bus stop on Fredericksburg Road toward downtown on weekends. Davidson is willing to wait for the bus as that’s his only means of transportation to get to his hotel Sunday afternoon. “Now, it went back (up) to 13 minutes.”The company announced late Saturday that transit service will be unavailable through 12 p.m., Monday Feb. 15. VIA Metro Transit passengers experienced longer wait times at bus stops Sunday Morning due to icy roads.
VIA Transit will run on modified schedule Monday through Wednesday due to inclement weather
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit bus routes will follow a Sunday schedule on Monday through Wednesday, due to the worsening winter weather conditions in the San Antonio region. All VIA transit services will not be operating, beginning at 6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 14, through 12 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15. This is during the most severe part of the winter weather. However, all service modes are being effected by the hazardous winter weather, according to VIA officials. AdBelow are the route schedule changes for this week:VIA schedule changes for Sunday, Feb. 14, through Thursday, Feb. 18.
San Antonio closures due to wintry weather
Monday, Feb. 15 at 1:14 p.m.San Antonio Airport: Citing the safety of passengers, the San Antonio Airport has canceled all flights. Sunday, Feb. 14, 5:02 p.m.:WellMed is closing all its clinics in San Antonio because of the severe winter weather conditions. Sunday, Feb. 14, 4:58 p.m.:Goodwill San Antonio closed all facilities Sunday and reported they will remain closed through Monday. Sunday, February 14, 9:38 a.m.:San Antonio Zoo: The San Antonio Zoo has announced they will be closed Feb. 14 - Feb. 15. Sunday, February 14, 9:03 a.m.:San Antonio Botanical Garden: The San Antonio Botanical Garden will be closed February 14 and 15.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio companies like VIA hosting virtual job fairs
3 1 of 3 William Luther /Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 3 File photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3San Antonio companies are looking for folks to fill up several positions. Most recently, VIA Metropolitan Transit announced in a news release Friday that it will host its second virtual career fair on Thursday, Feb. 18 to recruit bus operators in preparation for an increase in service later this year. It will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and can be accessed by phone (346) 248-7799 or on Zoom (No. 979 0558 6252). Applications are being accepted online now at VIAinfo.net/employment.
mysanantonio.comVIA to host virtual public meetings for proposed service changes
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit will host two virtual public hearings to seek the community’s input regarding service improvements proposed for implementation on May 3. VIA officials said the enhancements will increase frequency to meet ridership demand and maintain social distancing. Verbal comments will be accepted during the online public meeting. Comments submitted will be reviewed by VIA. Public comments can be submitted in the following ways:Ad
VIA Metropolitan Transit to offer complimentary transportation to vaccination sites
Starting on Monday, VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer complimentary transportation for any person traveling to or from an appointment at a city/county-sponsored COVID-19 vaccination site. This includes regular bus service, VIA Link, and VIAtrans paratransit service. Registered VIAtrans customers must schedule their trip in accordance with VIAtrans policies and procedures by phone or online. “VIA offers this fare-assistance program as part of our mission to ‘connect our community’ and ensure people can reach critical destinations and services, using safe, reliable public transportation options,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. RELATED: Two COVID-19 vaccination sites coming to San Antonio’s South Side, West Side
Stimulus plan provides billions for transportation, could help San Antonio airport recover
SAN ANTONIO – Congress has approved a new stimulus plan. Along with direct payments to individuals and more unemployment assistance, it provides billions in spending to help the transportation sector deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. San Antonio International Airport has not been immune to the effects of the pandemic on air travel. Under the CARES ACT passed in the spring, San Antonio International Airport was allocated close to $40 million in the first stimulus package, with lesser amounts for Kelly Field and Stimson Airport. Read more transportation reporting from KSAT:Car crashes in San Antonio plummet during pandemic, data showsEnvironmental concerns linger while trying to expand Loop 1604 to 10 lanes on North SideKSAT Explains: What is the future of transportation in San Antonio?
VIA Board of Trustees elect new chair
The VIA Metropolitan Transit Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously elected Fernando Reyes as its new chair to lead the group through December 2022, according to a news release. Reyes will succeed Hope Andrade, who was first elected to the board in the 1990s and has served as chair twice. Reyes, a native of San Antonio, has also served as the chairman of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President of the San Antonio Fiesta Commission and has served on several boards across the city, including the San Antonio Parks Foundation, the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation and World Affairs Council of San Antonio. "My goal is to ensure that VIA and public transit continue to be part of our city’s success story.”The VIA board members are appointed for two-years and select a chair every two years. The chair could be a member of the board or a member of the community.
mysanantonio.comVIA buses free on Friday to honor Rosa Parks
In observance of “Rosa Parks Day” throughout the country and to pay tribute to the NAACP activist whose refusal to surrender her bus seat to a white man in December 1955 sparked the modern civil rights era, VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer free rides all day Friday. VIAtrans will also be free Friday, but riders still will have to make reservations in advance. VIA began offering the free rides on “Rosa Parks Day” last year, joining scores of transit agencies that honor the woman “who took a stand by sitting down.” Since 2005, VIA has displayed a special seat dedicated to the legacy of Rosa Parks in each of its vehicles. “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true,” Parks later wrote. “I was not tired physically … No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”bselcraig@express-news.net
mysanantonio.comSA mayor, Bexar County judge’s recommendation for new VIA board chairman plans to keep the course
SAN ANTONIO – The man the Bexar County judge and San Antonio mayor have recommended to lead VIA Metropolitan Transit indicated he would plan to push ahead with plans to expand mobility options and improve service. With current chairwoman Hope Andrade reaching a collective eight years on the VIA board of trustees and leaving her role on Nov. 30, the board is expected to elect a new chairman in December. Though the decision is up to the board, Judge Nelson Wolff and Mayor Ron Nirenberg have recommended local businessman Fernando Reyes to get the job. “I think that’s what the citizens of San Antonio passed. Thank you.”A VIA spokeswoman said Andrade is expected to be asked to holdover and preside over the meeting in December when the trustees elect their new chairman.
In early voting, San Antonio supports job training, transportation and pre-K ballot measures
click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / VIA Metropolitan TransitAdditional funding for VIA was one of the issues on Tuesday's ballot. Some political experts questioned how much support the initiatives would garner during a high-stakes presidential race when the focus was on the top of the ticket. Others questioned voters' appetite for funding the training initiative and VIA by shifting money away from a popular aquifer protection program. However, the numbers suggest many were willing to trust city leaders that the aquifer would be protected under the aegis of the San Antonio Water System, which is now expected to take over the groundwater program. "They understand that when you create a well-trained workforce it attracts jobs," Barberena said.
sacurrent.comSan Antonians should reject VIA’s vague, open-ended ballot proposal
It has, unfortunately, educated a great many people about the fragile economic circumstances faced by a large portion of the local populace. It’s also revealed vast inequalities in computer and internet access across large swaths of San Antonio. With travel sharply down from historic levels and restaurants and bars still not fully open, the local visitor economy is a fraction of what it once was. We don’t really know what the San Antonio economy will look like in 2026, the year the VIA tax boost would begin. VIA’s pitch for the “Keep SA Moving” proposition on the ballot keeps talking about the 1.6 million new residents living here by 2040.
sacurrent.comSan Antonio's second HOV lane opens on North Side
The HOV lane opened from La Cantera Parkway to FM 3351 on the westbound side on Interstate 10. The eastbound HOV lane opened earlier this month. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inboxThe I-10 HOV lanes are the first of three VIA-managed HOV-lane projects in San Antonio. “The opening of HOV lanes is a culmination of several years of community engagement, planning and construction and just one of many projects we are delivering to prepare for the future growth of our region.”Use of the HOV lanes does not require any special permits or stickers. They will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the passenger regulations will be enforced by San Antonio police.
mysanantonio.comVIA offers public comment sessions for upcoming service changes
VIA Metropolitan Transit will host two virtual public meetings on Thursday and Tuesday, both at 6 p.m., to invite comment about various service changes that might take effect in January. As with virtually every public transit agency in the country, VIA’s ridership has declined during the pandemic, sometimes as much as 50 percent or more on some of its 90 routes. The proposed service changes include the following:Route 552 (Loop 410/W.W. The following routes are currently not operating:Joint Base San Antonio Routes 16 and 65VIVA Routes 11, 40, and 301Routes 7, 48, 54, 70, and 631Details on these and other proposed service changes are at VIAinfo.net/2021changes. Verbal public comments will be queued during the online public meeting.
mysanantonio.comPoll: San Antonians' support for workforce plan drops if it's funded by shifting aquifer protection money
click to enlarge Flickr / Erik (HASH) HersmanSan Antonio voters strongly support local initiatives headed to the November ballot that would use sales tax revenue to fund Pre-K 4 SA, VIA Metropolitan Transit and workforce development, according to a poll released Tuesday.However, respondents' support for the Ready to Work workforce retraining plan plummeted when they were given additional information about the source of its funding, according to a new Bexar Facts/KSAT/San Antonio Report poll The share of voters who said they'd support Ready to Work declined from 67% to 47% when they were told that implementing it would require moving the popular Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan under the city's general budget. In contrast, 66% of voters in the new poll support continued use of a 1/8-cent sales tax to fund Pre-K 4 SA, while 59% support using a separate 1/8-cent sales tax to provide additional funding to VIA. City council voted in August to free up yet another 1/8 cent of sales tax collections to fund Ready for Work, which seeks to retrain San Antonians for better job opportunities in the post-pandemic economy.But to allocate that money, council agreed to move aquifer protection under the general budget — a move opposed by some environmentalists, who caution that the new funding source won't be as robust or reliable.The Bexar Facts poll suggests Mayor Ron Nirenberg and supporters of Ready for Work may have a tough sales job on their hands ahead of November 3. At least for voters who read the fine print.Stay tuned.
sacurrent.comOne dead after crashing head-on with a VIA bus on far East Side
One dead after crashing head-on with a VIA bus on far East SideA man who crossed into oncoming traffic while driving on an East Side street died Monday died after a head-on collision with a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus, according to San Antonio police. The map shows the approximate location of the incident.. less A man who crossed into oncoming traffic while driving on an East Side street died Monday died after a head-on collision with a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus, according to San Antonio police. The map shows the ... more Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close One dead after crashing head-on with a VIA bus on far East Side 1 / 1 Back to GalleryA man who crossed into oncoming traffic while driving on a far East Side street died Monday died after a head-on collision with a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus, according to San Antonio police. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inboxAccording to police, Richardson was traveling south near the 5700 block of Foster Road around 6 a.m., when for an unknown reason, he crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the VIA bus head-on. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
mysanantonio.comArea's first HOV lanes set to open on the North Side next week
Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-NewsBexar County's first high-occupancy vehicle lanes are set to open on the North Side next week, allowing multi-passenger vehicles to bypass traffic, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Transportation and VIA Metropolitan Transit. The new HOV lanes will open between Ralph Fair Road and La Cantera Parkway eastbound on Interstate 10. The westbound HOV lanes are set to open later this fall. VIA teamed with TxDOT for the new lanes in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, the release said.
mysanantonio.comFormer councilman, Mayor Nirenberg rival intends to rally opposition against sales tax proposals
SAN ANTONIO – A former rival of Mayor Ron Nirenberg says he is stepping up to rally opposition against two San Antonio sales tax proposals on the November ballot. He also denied that wading into the sales tax fight is a way to set up another campaign to challenge Nirenberg in 2021, though he believes his mayoral campaign resonated with voters. The proposals he’s opposing, championed by Nirenberg and VIA Metropolitan Transit officials, revolve around new uses for a 1/8 cent portion sales tax. Since the proposals would use the same portion of the sales tax at different times, there would be no change to the 8.25% sales tax rate San Antonio shoppers currently pay -- something to which Nirenberg and VIA officials have repeatedly pointed. The campaigns supporting both sales tax measures provided reactions to Brockhouse’s plans to rally opposition.
VIA bus driver dies after battle with COVID-19
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit announced Monday that a bus driver with the company has died after a battle COVID-19. VIA said bus operator Harvey A. Fauria died Thursday. Help honor frontline/essential workers,... Posted by VIA Metropolitan Transit on Monday, September 14, 2020“Mr. Fauria is being remembered as a well-liked and respected employee of five years,” Arndt said in the Facebook post. Related: VIA bus operator shares experience behind the wheel amid coronavirus pandemic
VIA extends Workforce Assistance Pass Program until end of 2020
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit is extending its Workforce Assistance Pass Program as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The program allows VIA customers who receive unemployment to get a complimentary pass for 31 days. It was first introduced in June to help customers looking for work during the pandemic. VIA bus operator shares experience behind the wheel amid coronavirus pandemicThe program was originally set to end Aug. 31, but now it's extended until the end of the year. Anyone who has been receiving benefits from May 15 on can continue to use the program.
VIA changes essential services bus schedule
SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit is adjusting the bus schedule in San Antonio to adapt to changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The route’s frequencies were adjusted to meet the demands of riders. Below are the service changes VIA announced Monday:76 , Routes 3 100 , and 102 weekday frequencies will increase to every 12 min. NOTE: Real-time information will not be available for bus stops 82916 Goliad & Indian Forge, 66539 City Base Landing & Goliad and 66533 City Base Landing & Goliad. Route 672 weekday frequency will be reduced to every 60 min.
COVID-19 latest information for San Antonio, Texas
SAN ANTONIO – PublisherKSAT.comLocationSan Antonio, TexasLast reviewed9/29/2020 6:30 p.m.OverviewHospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Bexar County have plateaued as social distancing guidelines and mask mandates remain in place for residents. Social distancingA majority of social distancing guidelines remain in place in San Antonio. EventsNearly every large gathering in San Antonio, like Fiesta, Mala Luna Music Festival and Diwali SA have announced their 2020 events will be canceled due to the pandemic. Greg Abbott has mandated that Texans in counties with 20 or more COVID-19 cases must wear face coverings in public. Theme parksSix Flags Fiesta Texas, SeaWorld San Antonio and the San Antonio Zoo are open at a 50% capacity limit, as allowed by Abbott.
VIA will resume collecting fares on June 1
VIA will resume collecting fares on June 1Riders don masks and gloves as they wait for a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus. Riders don masks and gloves as they wait for a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus. Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff Photographer Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close VIA will resume collecting fares on June 1 1 / 5 Back to GalleryVIA Metropolitan Transit will resume collecting fares on Monday, June 1. All passengers age 10 or older must wear a face covering to board a VIA vehicle. VIA will continue operating on its 'Essential Service' schedule, which moved several routes to a Sunday schedule.
mysanantonio.comCommunity briefs - Northeast Herald
Mills lays out how to execute the plan: Stay home, wash you hands and uphold social distancing. The new schedule, which went into effect Monday, hopes to preserve bus service on 14 of its busiest routes, a news release states. VIA has been adding buses to routes when drivers notify dispatchers that a passenger limit of 16 has been reached. Updates on VIAs response to COVID-19 and related service alerts are posted regularly to VIAinfo.net/covid-19. It will be hosted by country singer Garrett T. Capps live from The Lonesome Rose from noon to midnight May 9.
mysanantonio.comVIA- Join us for a Tele-Town Hall at 7 p.m. May 5th
Join VIA Metropolitan Transit for a timely conversation about the agency's operations during the global coronavirus pandemic. Agency officials will discuss that and other issues - and take questions from the community during a Telephone Townhall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5th. You can register to receive a call from VIA when the event begins by registering at this link: www.VIAreimagined.com/get-involved. You can also watch the live stream from that page without registering. And you can ask questions from either platform.
saobserver.comVIA cuts San Antonio bus service again on all but its busiest routes
VIA cuts San Antonio bus service again on all but its busiest routesA man wears a face mask as he waits for a bus in San Antonio on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less A man wears a face mask as he waits for a bus in San Antonio on Wednesday. (AP ... more Photo: Eric Gay /Associated Press Photo: Eric Gay /Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close VIA cuts San Antonio bus service again on all but its busiest routes 1 / 3 Back to GalleryHaving lost nearly half its ridership in two months, VIA Metropolitan Transit has reduced bus routes and frequency again, planning an essential service schedule to start Monday. The new schedule hopes to preserve bus service on 14 of its busiest routes, according to a VIA press release. Bruce Selcraig is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area.
mysanantonio.comTransit Union Wants Hazard Pay for VIA Drivers, Maintenance Workers
It takes two people to do a number of jobs in maintenance.Trevio and other members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 694 are requesting hazard pay from the agency as they continue to report to their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The union represents most of the bus and van drivers at VIA and a little over 50 percent of maintenance workers, Amaya said. But the request for hazard pay applies to all employees drivers, maintenance, transit police, and safety supervisors, Amaya said. The conversation around hazard pay is still new, and VIA management and the union are discussing it, Amaya said. Credit: Bonnie Arbittier / Rivard ReportThough Amaya said the conversation around hazard pay is still in its preliminary stages, he thinks it should apply until things return to normal.
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