By: W. Scott Bailey | From: San Antonio Business Journal

VIA Metropolitan Transit’s board of trustees has approved expanding the agency’s VIA Link model to downtown San Antonio, providing an alternative transportation option in the heart of the city.

The launch is set for Sept. 1 and will extend VIA's “smart transit” platform to a fifth zone in the Alamo City, this one through a collaboration with UTSA and Centro San Antonio. 

“VIA Link has proved to be a game changer, with over one million passenger trips and counting,” VIA President and CEO Jeffrey Arndt said. “This new partnership will keep us moving in the right direction as San Antonio and VIA continue to grow and change.”

The agency launched VIA Link in 2019 in northeast San Antonio in what it now calls the Naco Pass zone. The system operates as an on-demand ride-sharing program, providing affordable public transportation in areas where traditional bus service is less feasible. 

The new downtown zone marks a first for VIA as it will operate in an area where bus service is readily available. The service area will include the Pearl district and Southtown.

VIA has positioned Link as a more flexible transit option, with fares and discounts similar to regular bus service. The downtown zone will complement a Little Runner e-shuttle service that launched in 2023 involving UTSA and Centro. Data from that pilot program contributed to VIA’s decision to expand its Link footprint.

“These partnerships are critical as we pursue additional innovation,” Centro CEO Trish DeBerry said. “We are thrilled to see VIA expand its operations with this program.”

The app-based VIA Link model is part of the agency’s Keep SA Moving plan that includes more innovative transit options. The agency is currently pursuing the region’s first Advanced Rapid Transit corridor as part of that strategy.

I reported in July that VIA Transit has tuned another important corner in its quest to launch the ART system. The agency has secured the highest possible bond rating from Standard & Poors as it plans to sell $144.5 million in sales tax revenue bonds to help fund the construction of the first line from San Antonio International Airport through downtown and to key points farther south.