The VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority, which serves San Antonio and surrounding communities, has approved a $390.8 million consolidated budget for 2024, which starts Oct. 1. Funding for the budget comes from sales taxes and passenger fares.
The $128.3 million capital budget includes $37.3 million to build two Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) corridors. The corridors will use bus-dedicated lanes outside regular traffic. The plan will allocate $33.8 million to a north-south line, and $3.5 million to an east-west line. The north-south line is currently in the design phase, and construction will begin in 2025.
VIA plans to invest heavily in the ART corridors in the coming years. The authority’s five-year plan includes $640 million to be used to complete the rapid-transit lanes.
The 2024 plan will also put $17.4 million toward building bus stops and other passenger facilities throughout the city, plus constructing operational and maintenance buildings.