San Antonio's VIA receives $268 million federal grand for advanced rapid transit project

San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit is getting a big financial boost from the federal government for a transformative rapid bus line project.

VIA’s Rapid Green Line, the region’s first advanced rapid transit corridor, has received a $268 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

The Rapid Green Line is designed to deliver convenient, high-frequency transportation options for the nearly 54,000 residents and 108,000 jobs located along the 10.35-mile corridor. It will run north to south along San Pedro Avenue, from the San Antonio International Airport, through downtown and south to the city’s historic missions area.

The route will feature dedicated bus lanes, bus-friendly traffic signals, managed turns and other intersection upgrades. VIA will also develop modern stations along the route with leve platform boarding and off-board fare collection. The service is expected to start carrying riders in late 2027.

This grant is the largest federal grant in VIA’s history, and will be matched locally thanks to a measure San Antonio voters approved in 2020 to redirect an existing 1/8-cent sales tax to the transit agency starting in 2026.

“Together with the FTA, we’re now fully funded to construct the backbone of a system designed to meet the mobility needs of San Antonio, well into our evolving future,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “The VIA Rapid Green Line will help countless residents and visitors more easily navigate our city, removing obstacles and barriers to health care, workforce development, jobs and opportunity that may have previously been out of reach. We see a future in which our customers spend less time traveling and more time doing the things that matter most in their lives.”

Advanced rapid transit corridors are a key component of VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan, approved by voters in 2020. The comprehensive plan looks to transform the region’s transportation network while providing residents with more equitable and sustainable transit options.

Rendering courtesy VIA Metropolitan Transit