Plans for San Antonio’s first Advanced Rapid Transit corridor are progressing with a recommendation for $158 million from the federal government, marking a historic funding opportunity for the region and a step forward for the project that’s part of VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan.
VIA’s Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) project is the only Texas project added to the President’s funding recommendation list for Fiscal Year 2023. It marks the first time San Antonio and VIA have been able to access this type of funding, which requires transit service that operates in a dedicated lane.
“Milestone by milestone, we keep moving toward a more modern and equitable transit system for San Antonio—one that ensures our community has better access to opportunities with projects designed to improve transit options while offering environmental and economic benefits for our growing region,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “We are grateful to the Federal Administration for continuing to recognize VIA’s ART project as vital, beneficial, and worthy of investment.”
Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition A in November 2020, securing dedicated local sales tax funding for Keep SA Moving projects, including a modern ART network designed to deliver frequent service within dedicated lanes and outside regular traffic.
The estimated capital cost for the North/South ART corridor is $320 million. The 12-mile corridor connects major employment and residential centers from the San Antonio International Airport, along San Pedro Avenue, through Downtown and south to the Missions area.
In August 2021, VIA was granted permission to enter the ART North/South concept project into the Capitol Investment Grants (CIG) program, one of the largest federal funding programs in existence. The project earned an initial “Medium-High” rating in January 2022.
“FTA looks forward to working with communities across the country to provide exciting new transit options,” FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said. “These investments support President Biden’s commitment to combat climate change while also improving safety, advancing equity, and improving quality of life for millions of Americans.”
VIA began its series of public meetings to discuss the ART project and collect community feedback on the proposed plans for a North/South corridor. Visit KeepSAmoving.com for more information about the project, details on upcoming meetings and events, or to attend a virtual meeting available anytime on the site.
Source: VIA Metropolitan Transit
