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.
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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.
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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.
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VIA to host virtual job fair for bus operator, mechanic positions
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 โ 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.
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Passengers have longer wait times at VIA Transit bus stops due to icy roads, wintry conditions
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 thatโs his only means of transportation to get to his hotel Sunday afternoon. โNow, it went back (up) to 13 minutes.โThe 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.
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VIA Transit will run on modified schedule Monday through Wednesday due to inclement weather
SAN ANTONIO โ 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.
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VIA to host virtual public meetings for proposed service changes
SAN ANTONIO โ VIA Metropolitan Transit will host two virtual public hearings to seek the communityโs 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
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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. โVIA offers this fare-assistance program as part of our mission to โconnect our communityโ and ensure people can reach critical destinations and services, using safe, reliable public transportation options,โ VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. RELATED: Two COVID-19 vaccination sites coming to San Antonioโs South Side, West Side
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Stimulus plan provides billions for transportation, could help San Antonio airport recover
SAN ANTONIO โ 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?
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SA mayor, Bexar County judgeโs recommendation for new VIA board chairman plans to keep the course
SAN ANTONIO โ 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. โI think thatโs what the citizens of San Antonio passed. Thank you.โA 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.
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Former councilman, Mayor Nirenberg rival intends to rally opposition against sales tax proposals
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 heโs 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 Brockhouseโs plans to rally opposition.
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VIA bus driver dies after battle with COVID-19
SAN ANTONIO โ 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, 2020โMr. Fauria is being remembered as a well-liked and respected employee of five years,โ Arndt said in the Facebook post. Related: VIA bus operator shares experience behind the wheel amid coronavirus pandemic
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VIA extends Workforce Assistance Pass Program until end of 2020
SAN ANTONIO โ 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.
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VIA changes essential services bus schedule
SAN ANTONIO โ VIA Metropolitan Transit is adjusting the bus schedule in San Antonio to adapt to changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The routeโs 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.
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COVID-19 latest information for San Antonio, Texas
SAN ANTONIO โ 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.
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VIA maintenance employee tests positive for COVID-19, officials say
SAN ANTONIO โ A maintenance employee at VIA Metropolitan Transit has tested positive for COVID-19, according to VIA Metropolitan Transit officials. The employee was last at work on April 9 and had little to no contact with the public, according to VIA officials. Currently, two administrative employees, one maintenance worker and seven VIA operators have tested positive for the virus so far. VIA administrative employee tests positive for COVID-19, officials saySix employees have returned to work, two are hospitalized and two are recovering at home, according to VIA officials. VIA Metropolitan Transit said its last positive test for the virus, before Thursday, was reported May 20.
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VIA unveils 'Essential Serviceโ schedule
SAN ANTONIO โ VIA Metropolitan Transit will begin operating what it calls an โEssential Serviceโ schedule starting Monday. The schedule is designed to preserve essential service for people who must travel for work at an exempted business or operation, obtain food and supplies or help care for others. The new service changes account for these two and other factors. Mondayโs changes represent an additional 4% reduction to current service levels to adjust for available staff. VIA Essential Bus Service Routes (KSAT)
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VIA bus riders over 10 years old required to wear face masks
SAN ANTONIO โ Before you try and catch your next ride on a VIA Metropolitan Transit bus, make sure to bring your face covering along with you. Starting Wednesday, you'll need to have a face covering to get in a VIA vehicle, according to the transit agency. VIA says it requires the face coverings in accordance with city and county rules. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.
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VIA Metropolitan Transit employee tests positive for COVID-19, company official says
SAN ANTONIO โ A VIA Metropolitan Transit employee has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a VIA representative. The employee last reported to work March 23 and started experiencing symptoms the next day, but did not go in to work, the company said. Other employees have been notified and VIA has cleaned and disinfected the employeeโs work space. โWe continue to aggressively expanded agency-wide cleaning and safety protocols in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.
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VIA offers free bus and van rides on Primary Election Day
VIA Metropolitan Transit is offering free bus and van rides on the March 3 Primary Election Day. Passengers just need to show a valid voter registration card to the bus or van operator to ride. What you need to know about voting in the Texas Primary Elections on March 3The free rides will be available for regular bus service and for VIAtrans paratransit service. Bus passengers can plan their trip to vote through the VIA goMobile app. VIAtrans customers need to be registered and must schedule their trip in advance by phone or online.
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VIA wants input from residents about bold, new transit plan
SAN ANTONIO โ VIA Metropolitan Transit will host a telephone town hall at 7 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss a 10-year road map designed to make public transit in our region better, faster, smarter and easier to use. VIA will host a series of tele-town halls throughout the year to engage and inform the community about the benefits of the VIA Reimagined Plan, which includes projects designed to create a better bus system, build an advanced rapid transit network and develop smart transit solutions. The monthly call-ins are part of VIAโs ongoing outreach efforts that include events, group meetings, strategic partnerships, interactive online tools and social media activity. VIAโs 10-year action plan to deliver a better, faster, smarter transit systemFormer San Antonio City Councilman and current VIA Board Chair Rey Saldaรฑa will host the call with VIA President and CEO Jeff Arndt. The VIA Transit Community Council acts both in an advisory capacity to the board and as an engaged liaison with the public.