Texas’ VIA Metropolitan Transit, in partnership with Centro San Antonio and the University of Texas at San Antonio, is launching its new VIA Link zone, Downtown, as it celebrates two major milestones for the popular on-demand service: five years and over one million passengers since it launched.

The VIA board unanimously approved creation of the new Downtown Link zone at a special-called board meeting.

The  VIA Link Downtown/Little Runner Zone is the fifth for VIA and builds on the success of Centro’s 2023 pilot project, dubbed the “Little Runner” for UTSA’s RoadRunner mascot.

VIA’s New Link Zone

The new zone is designed to connect people who live, work, and visit the busy city center and UTSA’s Downtown Campus.

VIA Link vans will deliver service in Downtown, but unlike other VIA Link zones, bus routes will continue running and a “Little Runner” circulator, using small electric shuttles, will move students and staff between UTSA’s Downtown Campus and the school’s new San Pedro I Building.

“Offering VIA Link service Downtown moves us closer to our mission of connecting the community through innovation and collaboration with partners and neighbors like Centro San Antonio and UTSA,”  VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “VIA Link has proved to be a gamechanger, with over 1 million passenger trips — and counting. This new partnership will keep us moving in the right direction as San Antonio — and VIA — continue to grow and change.”

VIA’s Mobility Plan

Growing the app-based service model is part of VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan that includes innovative transit options, using technology, and multimodal solutions, as well as improved bus service and the region’s first Advanced Rapid Transit network, VIA Rapid.

The first VIA Link zone opened in 2019 on the city’s Northeast Side, now known as the Naco Pass zone.

The revolutionary service provides more flexible trip options, offering transit service when and where people need it, for the same fares and discounts as regular bus service.

Four Link zones are now operating, including Mainland, with service anchored by UTSA’s Main Campus on the Northwest Side; Madla, connecting points from Texas A&M University-San Antonio to the Toyota Manufacturing campus on the South Side; and Randolph, near Windcrest and Converse.

Introduced as a “smart transit” solution, it leverages technology and an on-demand model to improve the cost to operate service and offer more frequent and reliable trip options in areas where bus routes are either difficult to operate, like in suburban zones, or can be enhanced with multimodal options, as in the Downtown zone.