Good for them. If only we had the same inclinations.
San Antonio and Bexar County landed a $268 million federal grant to fund more than half the cost of the VIA Green Line, the Alamo City’s first-ever Advanced Rapid Transit program, local leaders said Wednesday.
The 10.5-mile bus route will start at San Antonio International Airport before traveling down San Pedro Avenue. The line then will snake through downtown and Southtown before ending at VIA’s Brooks Transit Center.
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The federal grant will fund 56% of the Green Line’s total $480 million price tag. Another $153.7 million will come from local bonds, while the remaining $56.8 million will be allocated from existing funds.
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Despite its promise of speedier public transport, the project has sparked fears from small-business owners about a pending construction nightmare, the Current previously reported. Some business owners concerned over the line said they’re still recovering from construction delays downtown and along the St. Mary’s Strip,
Even so, Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said the city and county will work with small businesses to ensure that the project doesn’t hinder foot traffic.
“I’m expecting us to incorporate all those small businesses, or any businesses, up and down that North-South line of the city to see how we can improve our community — not just for the bus riders but for the businesses that are along that route,” Sakai said.
If all goes as planned, construction on the Green Line will begin late next year and wrap up in mid-2025, according to local officials. The route is expected to be fully operational by 2027.
In addition to the rapid bus line, the project will include replacement of 151 storm drains, 13 new signalized pedestrian crossings and 7.3 miles of new and repaired sidewalks. Nearly 40 traffic lights along the route also will be upgraded and synchronized.
See here for the background. The San Antonio Report gets into the neighborhood aspects of this.
San Antonio City Council unanimously approved new zoning rules and a policy framework Thursday that are aimed at transit-oriented development (TOD). The rules are meant to encourage bus ridership, area walkability and density along mass transit corridors in the city — which are planned but not yet built.
“Ultimately, where we are going with TOD is in an effort to rein in sprawl that makes our city less desirable, more expensive and less sustainable,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said after the vote. The goal is “to tie our transportation system planning with our land use and make it so that you don’t have to have a car to get where you need to go in the city.”
Much of the policy framework, developed over the course of more than a year by a task force and committee, is aimed at removing barriers for more residential, commercial and mixed-use development surrounding mass transit routes, which VIA Metropolitan Transit calls “advanced rapid transit” or ART. (It’s more commonly known as “bus rapid transit.”)
Other sections are aimed at mitigating the impacts development may have on neighborhoods, such as increased property values and gentrification.
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The now-$480 million ART Green Line will be a faster and more frequent bus route from the airport that will run through downtown to the missions. VIA also has plans to build the east-west Silver Line in 2027, which could run from North Gen. McMullen Drive on the West Side along West Commerce Street and East Houston Street to the Frost Bank Center on the East Side.
The zoning rules and map approved Thursday will apply to areas surrounding the Green Line, slated for completion in 2027. Lots that are currently zoned for single-family use within the urban core are ineligible for TOD zoning.
Another process is underway to customize the boundaries and parameters for the Silver Line, which is scheduled to break ground in 2029.
While VIA’s Green Line and the city’s TOD policy are separate, independent initiatives, the organizations have been collaborating for years to align them.
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TOD and bus rapid transit are key elements of the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan adopted by City Council in 2016. TOD is part of the city’s affordable housing policy adopted in 2018, as well as the implementation plan in 2021. The city’s climate action plan also prioritizes TOD.
Like the housing policy, the city will ultimately adopt an implementation plan for TOD, which will be developed by the city next year.
Sure is nice to have a plan. The aforementioned Silver Line would run through downtown, which makes a lot of sense; the Frost Bank Center is where the Spurs play. I’m not jealous about any of this, I’m just gazing wistfully in their direction.
I keep saying METRO needs to simply revive the Quickline brand…its way more affordable than how the University line was planned and easier to implement using current infrastructure and vehicles. And once a Quickline reaches a certain ridership then upgrade it to full BRT.