SAN ANTONIO — VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a $307.6 million operating budget on Tuesday, September 24 for Fiscal Year 2025 that focuses on advancing the Keep SA Moving plan, workforce retention and recruitment, and ridership growth.
Under the spending plan, VIA will keep its fare structure unchanged for a ninth consecutive year, keeping the cost to ride among the lowest in the nation while investing heavily — 90% — in service delivery and improvements to the system. That includes:
- 4.1% increase for fixed-route service to improve reliability and frequency on bus routes
- 1.8% increase for VIAtrans to meet growing service demand
- 39.7% increase for VIA Link on-demand service to meet demand and support the addition of a fifth zone, downtown
According to a news release, the budget supports continued ridership growth on all VIA services. From October 2023 to June of this year — the most updated figures available — average weekday ridership has grown by 12.2%. During the same time, VIAtrans ridership has grown by about 6%, and VIA Link ridership has grown by more than 65%, in part due to new service. Ridership is expected to continue its upward trajectory in the coming fiscal year.
The operating budget projects a 3.45% growth in revenue from the Metropolitan Transit Authority sales tax levied across VIA’s service area.
VIA’s capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $265.9 million, nearly 60% of which is slated for continued development of the Advanced Rapid Transit North-South corridor, known as the VIA Rapid Green Line. Expected to open in 2027, the region’s first Rapid corridor will significantly reduce travel time for transit riders and make improvements designed to benefit drivers, cyclists and pedestrians as well.
The FY25 budget also includes annual wage increases of 4% for all employees in the new fiscal year.
“This year’s budget exemplifies our organization’s dedication to prioritizing improvements that benefit our community, taking care of our employees and continuing the investments that are driving San Antonio to a more mobile future,” President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said about the budget.
The board also amended its working conditions policy, which lays out wages and certain conditions of employment for many front-line employees. The policy was last updated three years ago and expired last month. For the past several months, VIA management has met with hourly-employee representatives from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 694 to discuss on proposed changes.
Source: VIA Metropolitan Transit
