VIA Metropolitan Transit (or simply VIA) is the mass transit agency serving San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

. It began operation in 1978 as a successor to the San Antonio Transit System. VIA's employees are organized with the Amalgamated Transit Union

Amalgamated Transit Union

The Amalgamated Transit Union is a labor union in the United States and The Amalgamated Transit Union Canadian Council in Canada, representing workers in the transit system and other industries...

.

In addition to the entire city of San Antonio, VIA serves its other member municipalities in Bexar County, which include Alamo Heights

Alamo Heights, Texas

Alamo Heights is an incorporated town that is completely surrounded by the City of San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town's population was just 7,319, and 7,477 by 2009. However, its location as an enclave in San Antonio causes it to be a part of the...

, Balcones Heights

Balcones Heights, Texas

Balcones Heights is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,941 at the 2010 census. Balcones Heights is considered by locals to be a part of San Antonio, despite the fact that the community was incorporated in 1948 to avoid annexation into the city. Truly, Balcones...

, Castle Hills

Castle Hills, Texas

Castle Hills is a city located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 4,202. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, China Grove

China Grove, Texas

China Grove is a town in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,247 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:China Grove is located at ....

, Converse

Converse, Texas

Converse is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Converse is located at ....

, Elmendorf

Elmendorf, Texas

Elmendorf is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is part of the San Antonio—New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 664 at the 2000 census. Elmendorf is located seventeen miles southeast of San Antonio at the juncture of Farm Road 327 and the Southern Pacific...

, Kirby

Kirby, Texas

Kirby is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Founded as an agricultural settlement along the Southern Pacific railroad, the city was transformed into a suburban community upon its incorporation...

, Leon Valley

Leon Valley, Texas

Leon Valley is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,239 at the 2000 census; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had grown to 11,020...

, Olmos Park

Olmos Park, Texas

Olmos Park is a city located within San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,343 at the 2000 census. The city is the second wealthiest location in the San Antonio metropolitan area after Hill Country Village.- Government :...

, Shavano Park

Shavano Park, Texas

Shavano Park is a city located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census the population was 1,754. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, St. Hedwig

St. Hedwig, Texas

St. Hedwig is a town in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,875 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

 and Terrell Hills

Terrell Hills, Texas

Terrell Hills is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States, located five miles northeast of downtown San Antonio. It is part of a group of three cities — Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, and Olmos Park — located between downtown San Antonio and Fort Sam Houston...

. It also serves unincorporated portions of the county which include Kings Point and Loyola. VIA does not serve other Bexar County municipalities: Hill Country Village

Hill Country Village, Texas

Hill Country Village is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Hollywood Park

Hollywood Park, Texas

Hollywood Park is a town in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,983 at the 2000 census. It is an enclave of San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Live Oak

Live Oak, Texas

Live Oak is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,156 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Live Oak is located at ....

, Selma

Selma, Texas

Selma is a city in Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Universal City

Universal City, Texas

Universal City is a city in Bexar and Guadalupe Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It borders San Antonio to the northeast, and is adjacent to Randolph Air Force Base. The population was 14,849 at the 2000 census. Through Universal City is Pat Booker Road, the commercial thoroughfare of the city...

 or Windcrest

Windcrest, Texas

Windcrest is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Windcrest is located at ....

, although some of these suburbs are within driving proximity of outlying park and ride lots. Besides the majority of the system utilizes transit bus

Transit bus

A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...

es, VIA provides Downtown San Antonio

Downtown San Antonio

Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, United States.Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, I-35, I-37, and I-10...

 with a streetcar circular service utilized by office workers and tourists.

History

VIA was created in 1977 when the citizens of Bexar County voted in favor of one-half cent sales tax

Sales tax

A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....

 to fund the service. Subsequently, VIA purchased transit assets from the City of San Antonio and began operations in March 1978, taking its name from the Latin word for "road". In 2004, San Antonians approved the formation of the Advanced Transportation District. This quarter-cent sales tax expanded and improved VIA operations.

Throughout the 20th Century, VIA used Propane as fuel for their buses. It wasn't until 2000 when VIA started to use diesel fuel to operate their bus fleet.

Services

VIA operates more than 500 buses

Transit bus

A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...

 (all are wheelchair accessible) on 91 bus lines ranging from routes 2 to 660, serving San Antonio and the majority of Bexar County. The bus lines are separated into: Metro routes, Frequent routes, Skip

Skip-stop

Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...

 routes (Limited Stop "Frequent" routes), Express routes, and Streetcar routes (serving downtown and southtown only). VIA also offers shuttle service to special events, such as Spurs

Spurs

Spurs are tools worn on the heel of a boot, used when riding horses.Spurs can also refer to:* The Chancellor's Spurs, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin...

 basketball games and selected annual Fiesta San Antonio

Fiesta San Antonio

"Fiesta San Antonio" is an annual spring festival held in San Antonio, Texas with origins dating to the late 19th century. The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the battles of The Alamo and San Jacinto....

 activities. About 36 million trips are made on VIA every year. VIA also offers "VIATrans" paratransit

Paratransit

Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....

 services for disabled travelers.

Fares for VIA have remained relatively modest during its existence. At its inception in 1978, fares were 25 cents for most routes. Fares for most fixed routes during 2006 were 80 cents and a monthly bus pass was $20, much lower than most transit systems in the country. On January 1, 2007, basic fares were raised to $1 and monthly pass prices were raised to $25. Basic fares increased to $1.10 and monthly pass prices were raised to $30 on January 1, 2009.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Plans

VIA is to add Bus Rapid Transit

Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

 (BRT) service to Fredericksburg Road by 2012. VIA is looking into other corridors to add Bus Rapid Transit to in the coming decades.

Governance

VIA is governed by an eleven-member Board of Trustees, all of whom have two year terms.

Ten of the trustees are appointed by the various governmental entities in Bexar County – the city of San Antonio appoints five members, the Bexar County Commissioners Court appoints three, and the mayors of the suburban cities acting in concert appoint two. The appointed trustees then elect a chairperson as the Board's eleventh member. Keith Parker is VIA's President/CEO.

Types of Routes

Types of VIA Metropolitan Transit Bus Lines

Type of Route	Map/Schedule color	Service	Selected Examples	Cost of Bus Fare (One Way Trip)
Metro	Purple	Bus Service from Downtown San Antonio to specific suburban areas or projects, or from specific Transit Centers and Park & Rides to specific suburban areas or projects. Buses usually run every hour, though some run more frequently.	8 - North St. Mary's, 89 - Poplar, 90 - Woodlawn, 603 - Medical Center/UTSA, 620 - Ingram/Northwest Vista College	$1.10
Frequent	Red	Similar to Metro Service, but runs more frequently. Most Frequent routes have buses that runs every 15 minutes during most of the day.	14 - Perrin-Beitel Frequent, 92 - Fredericksburg Frequent, 524 - General McMullen Frequent	$1.10
Skip	Green	Skip routes are Metro routes that cover frequently traveled roads in San Antonio, and are modified to have fewer stops along the way to improve travel times.	76 - Old Highway 90 Skip, 91 - Fredericksburg Skip, 550/551 - Looper (Loop 410) Skip	$1.10
Express	Orange	Express Routes are routes that cover major highway arteries in San Antonio. Express Routes are designed for quick travel down these highways with very few stops. Some Express Routes are also dedicated specifically for transport from military bases to the Downtown USO club.	17 - I-35 Express, 93 - I-10 Express/UTSA, 94 - I-10 Express/UTSA	$2.50
Sightseer	Turquoise	The Sightseer special is a specially designed Skip Route that specifically stops at several landmarks and tourist attractions in San Antonio.	7 - Sightseer Special	$1.10
Streetcar	Red, Yellow, Blue	Streetcar Routes are designed for Downtown sightseeing in retrofitted historic streetcars. Each streetcar has a route sign with a symbol and a color to signal what route it is on.	Red Streetcar Route, Yellow Streetcar Route, Blue Streetcar Route	$1.10

List of Routes Serviced

VIA Metropolitan Transit Routes Serviced (Since August 22, 2011)

#	Route Name	Major Destination Points
2	Blanco	U.S. 281 @ Loop 1604, Parliament Square, North Star Transit Center, Downtown
3	San Pedro Skip	Blossom Park & Ride, North Star Mall, North Star Transit Center, Downtown
4	San Pedro Frequent	North Star Transit Center, North Star Mall, Downtown
5	McCullough	San Antonio International Airport, Olmos Park, North Star Mall, North Star Transit Center, Downtown
6	US 281 North Express	US 281 North @ Loop 1604, Parkhills Park & Ride, Downtown
7	Sightseer Special	Botanical Garden, Witte Museum, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio Children's Museum, Downtown
8	North Saint Mary's	Randolph Park & Ride, Alamo Heights, University of the Incarnate Word, Trinity University, Downtown
9	Broadway	Nacogdoches Road Business Park, Alamo Heights, Downtown
10	Nacogdoches/Broadway	Naco Pass, Alamo Heights, Downtown
14	Perrin-Beitel Frequent	Naco Pass, Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, University of the Incarnate Word, Downtown
16	Fort Sam Houston/USO Express	Fort Sam Houston, USO
17	I-35 North Express	Randolph Park & Ride, Downtown
20	New Braunfels Frequent	Brookside, City Base Landing, State Hospital, McCreless Marketplace, San Antonio College, Downtown
21	Kirby/Converse	Randolph Park & Ride, Converse, Kirby, Downtown
22	Hays Frequent	Sutton Homes, Rivercenter Mall, Downtown
24	East Houston Frequent	Eastwood Industrial Park, AT&T Center, Wheatley Courts, Ellis Alley Park & Ride, Downtown
25	East Commerce Frequent	Royal View, Huntleigh Park, Honey, Ellis Alley Park & Ride, Downtown
26	Martin Luther King	Eastwood Village, St. Philips College, Alamodome, Downtown
28	Porter	Dellcrest, Southeast Baptist Hospital, Alamodome, Downtown
30	Rigsby	St. Hedwig, Lone Oak, China Grove, Dellcrest, Comanche Park, Alamodome, Downtown
32	Steves	Highland Hills, Texas Department of Human Services, Downtown
34	South Saint Mary's	Brooks City Base, McCreless Marketplace, Juvenile Detention Center, Downtown
36	South Presa	Elmendorf, Brooks City Base, New Braunfels State Hospital, Downtown
42	Roosevelt	Villa Coronado, Losoya, Mission Road Development Center, Downtown
43	South Flores	Kingsborough, Bellaire, Downtown
44	Pleasanton	Moursund @ Loop 410, Downtown
46	Commercial	Kingsborough, Commercial, Downtown
48	I-35 South Express	Kings Point, Madla Transit Center, Downtown
51	Nogalitos	Madla Transit Center, Southwest General Hospital, Downtown
54	South Alamo	Palm Heights, Zarzamora Public Health Clinic, Downtown
62	Kirk	Port San Antonio, Downtown
64	US 90 Express	Northwest Vista College, Sea World, Kel-Lac Transit Center, Downtown
65	Lackland AFB/USO Express	Lackland AFB BMT Reception Center, USO Downtown
66	Ceralvo Frequent	University Southwest Family Health Center, Downtown
67	Laredo	Las Palmas Shopping Center, Downtown
68	Guadalupe Frequent	University Southwest Family Health Center, Las Palmas Shopping Center, Downtown
70	Cesar Chavez	Las Palmas Shopping Center, Downtown
75	West Commerce Frequent	University Southwest Family Health Center, Acme Park, Our Lady of the Lake University, Downtown
76	Old Highway 90 West Skip	Kel-Lac Transit Center, Our Lady of the Lake University, Downtown
77	Martin	Loma Terrace, Downtown
79	Ruiz Frequent	Rosedale Park, University Downtown Health Center, Downtown
82	Culebra	Ingram Transit Center, Ingram Mall, Northside Athletic Complex, SW Research Center, St. Mary's University, Downtown
88	Bandera Rd. / Evers Rd.	Mainland, Leon Valley, Downtown
89	Poplar	Ingram Transit Center, University Downtown Health Center, Downtown
90	Woodlawn	Ingram Transit Center, Ingram Mall, St. Mary's University, San Antonio College, Downtown
91	Fredericksburg Skip	Woodway Park, USAA, Medical Center Transit Center, Crossroads Mall, Deco District, Downtown
92	Fredericksburg Frequent	Medical Center Transit Center, Crossroads Park & Ride, Crossroads Mall, Deco District, Downtown
93	I-10 West Crossroads/UTSA Express	U.T.S.A., Valero, University Park & Ride, Crossroads Park & Ride, U.T.S.A. Downtown, Downtown
94	I-10 West Fiesta Texas Express	The Rim, Fiesta Texas, The Shops at La Cantera, U.T.S.A., University Park & Ride, Crossroads Park & Ride (weekends), Downtown
96	Vance Jackson	University Heights Business Park, Deco District, Downtown
97	West Avenue	The Rim, University Heights Business Park, Castle Hills, Deco District, Downtown
502	Thousand Oaks	Randolph Park & Ride, Morgan's Wonderland, Naco Pass, North Star Transit Center
505	Basse	Randolph Park & Ride, Alamo Heights, Crossroads Park & Ride
509	Hildebrand	Randolph Park & Ride, Northeast Baptist Hospital, Alamo Heights, Deco District, Crossroads Park & Ride
515	Southcross	Southcross Ranch, Southeast Baptist Hospital, McCreless Marketplace, South San
520	Zarzamora Frequent	Crossroads Park & Ride, Deco District, Texas Diabetes Institute, Madla Transit Center, Palo Alto College, Texas A&M University San Antonio
522	Babcock	Woodway Park, Medical Center Transit Center, Las Palmas Shopping Center
524	General McMullen Frequent	Crossroads Park & Ride, Balcones Heights, Las Palmas Shopping Center, Port San Antonio, Southwest General Hospital, Palo Alto College
534	Wurzbach	Ingram Transit Center, Medical Transit Center, North Star Transit Center, Ingram Park Mall, North Star Mall
550	Looper (Clockwise) Skip	Randolph Park & Ride, Madla Transit Center, Kel-Lac Transit Center, Ingram Transit Center, Crossroads Park & Ride, North Star Transit Center
551	Looper (Counterclockwise) Skip	Randolph Park & Ride, North Star Transit Center, Crossroads Park & Ride, Ingram Transit Center, Kel-Lac Transit Center, Madla Transit Center
602	North Star Transit Center/Medical Center	North Star Transit Center, Castle Hills, Medical Center Transit Center
603	Medical Center/UTSA	UTSA, University Park & Ride, University Business Park, USAA, Medical Center Transit Center
604	Medical Center/University Park	University Business Park, Medical Center Transit Center
605	UTSA/Mainland	U.T.S.A., Braun Station, Mainland
606	Medical Center/Alamo Ranch	Medical Center Transit Center, Mainland, Braun Station, Alamo Ranch
607	Medical Center/Ingram	Ingram Transit Center, Medical Center Transit Center
609	Ingram/Mainland	Ingram Transit Center, Mainland
610	Ingram/Northwest Crossing	Northwest Crossing, Ingram Transit Center
611	Valley-Hi/Kel-Lac	Valley Hi, Kel-Lac Transit Center
612	Kel-Lac/Westlakes	Westlakes, Kel-Lac Transit Center
613	Heritage Northwest/Kel-Lac	Heritage Northwest, Westlakes, Kel-Lac Transit Center
614	Hidden Cove/Kel-Lac	Hidden Cove, Lackland AFB, Kel-Lac Transit Center
615	Kel-Lac/Heritage Park	Heritage Park, Westlakes, Kel-Lac Transit Center
616	Sky Harbour/Kel-Lac	Sky Harbour, Kel-Lac Transit Center
617	Kel-Lac/Rainbow Hills	Rainbow Hills, Westlakes, Kel-Lac Transit Center
618	Ingram/Westlakes	Westlakes, Ingram Transit Center
619	Kel-Lac/Indian Creek	Indian Creek, Lackland AFB, Kel-Lac Transit Center
620	Northwest Vista College/Ingram	Northwest Vista College, Ingram Transit Center
630	Randolph/Industry Park/Sunrise	Sunrise, Industry Park, Randolph Park & Ride
632	Randolph/Ventura	Ventura, The Glen, Randolph Park & Ride
640	Valley Forge	Rolling Oaks Mall, Valley Forge, Naco Pass
641	Knollcreek	Rolling Oaks Mall, Knollcreek, Naco Pass
642	Nacogdoches	Rolling Oaks Mall, Naco Pass
647	North Star Transit Center/Harry Wurzbach	The Towers, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, North Star Transit Center
648	North Star Transit Center/Stone Oak	North Star Transit Center, Arion Business Park, Blossom Park & Ride, North Central Baptist Hospital
651	Deco District/Castle Hills	Castle Hills, Deco District
660	Northwest Vista College/University P & R	University Park & Ride, UTSA, Bandera Pointe, Alamo Ranch, Westover Hills, Northwest Vista College

Current Fleet Roster

Year	Manufacturer	Model	Length (ft.)	Fuel Propulsion	Fleet Series	Quantity	Notes
1999-01	NABI North American Bus Industries North American Bus Industries, commonly known as NABI, is a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Anniston, Alabama. NABI was founded in 1992 when the Hungarian firm Ikarus Bus, a key bus supplier to Central, Eastern Europe, spun off a majority share of their American operations to...	40-LFW	40	Diesel	730-946	217	First low floor bus fleet Currently being repainted in new color scheme
2000	Champion Champion Bus Incorporated Champion Bus Incorporated is the brand name of buses made by Thor Industries of Imlay City, Michigan, United States.Buses made under the Champion name include:* Challenger - mid-size bus using a Ford E-series , GM GMT or C4500 truck chassis...	Solo	30	Propane Propane Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...	664-729	66
2003-05	New Flyer New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...	D40LF	40	Diesel	200-338	139
2010	NABI North American Bus Industries North American Bus Industries, commonly known as NABI, is a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Anniston, Alabama. NABI was founded in 1992 when the Hungarian firm Ikarus Bus, a key bus supplier to Central, Eastern Europe, spun off a majority share of their American operations to...	40-LFW		CNG Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...	401-504	104	Local service First CNG bus fleet
	New Flyer New Flyer Industries New Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...	DE40LFR		Diesel-electric hybrid Diesel-electric Diesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...	300s range	30	Express service First Hybrid bus fleet
2012	NABI North American Bus Industries North American Bus Industries, commonly known as NABI, is a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Anniston, Alabama. NABI was founded in 1992 when the Hungarian firm Ikarus Bus, a key bus supplier to Central, Eastern Europe, spun off a majority share of their American operations to...	BRT	42 or 60	Diesel-electric hybrid Diesel-electric Diesel-electric transmission or diesel-electric powertrain is used by a number of vehicle and ship types for providing locomotion.A diesel-electric transmission system includes a diesel engine connected to an electrical generator, creating electricity that powers electric traction motors...  or CNG Compressed natural gas Compressed natural gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane/LPG. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a spill...	???	???	Fredericksburg Road BRT service (VIA Primo)