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SEARCHThe frequency improvements are expected to contribute further to the continued ridership growth VIA has experienced annually since 2022.
VIA’s Better Bus Plan aims to deliver faster, more direct service on traditional bus routes and expand VIA Link service, and decrease wait times across the network to 30 minutes or less.
Photo: VIA Metropolitan Transit
San Antonio’s VIA approved a plan to increase frequency on five key routes starting in mid-April, reducing wait times and providing faster connections for riders on both weekday and weekend trips.
The frequency improvements are expected to contribute further to the continued ridership growth VIA has experienced annually since 2022.
Ridership is up by more than 27% since 2021 and reached nearly 31 million trips in calendar year 2024 — the third consecutive year in which overall ridership for VIA has climbed past 2021 ridership levels, signaling steady growth for 2025.
“Transit plays a critical role in our community, and we know that people are increasingly looking to VIA to get them to work and school, to their medical appointments and the grocery store — and all the other places that are important in their daily lives,” said Jon Gary Herrera, VIA’s president and CEO. “I am optimistic we will continue to see increases in ridership as we offer more service to the community through innovation and frequency.”
VIA plans to introduce additional frequency enhancements in August to continue strengthening the service.
Year over year, VIA’s fixed-route ridership increased by nearly two million trips between 2023 and 2024.
Ridership on VIA Link, a rideshare service similar to Uber or Lyft, and on VIAtrans, paratransit service for customers who can’t use fixed-route service, has also grown annually since 2021.
Even with the dip in ridership in 2021, VIA has provided 136.3 million trips between 2020 and 2024.
As part of the voter-approved Keep SA Moving plan, VIA is making investments in innovative transit projects, such as VIA Rapid, VIA Link and the Better Bus plan.
VIA Rapid will be San Antonio’s first Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) system. The VIA Rapid Green Line, running north-south along San Pedro Avenue, is set to launch in late 2027. The VIA Rapid Silver Line, which would run east-west from the Frost Bank Center to North General McMullen on the West Side, is projected to be delivered in 2029.
VIA Link, an on-demand ride service like Uber and Lyft, connects riders within designated zones, including transit centers and traditional bus stops. VIA launched its fifth VIA Link zone in 2024 with plans for future growth.
VIA’s Better Bus Plan aims to deliver faster, more direct service on traditional bus routes and expand VIA Link service, and decrease wait times across the network to 30 minutes or less.
The initiatives will provide the community with more frequent and accessible transportation options, ensuring greater connectivity and attracting even more riders in the years to come.
The changes are designed to reduce overall travel time, shorten wait times, and get customers to their destinations more quickly.
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