As VIA Metropolitan Transit continues to move forward to deliver the city’s first Advanced Rapid Transit corridor, local officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of a Project Office designed to be an information hub for the community.
VIA Board Chair Fernando Reyes, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur cut the ribbon to mark the opening of VIA’s ART Office, and were joined by members of VIA’s board and Executive Team, Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Hope Andrade, and other dignitaries.
The office is located at 7067 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78216, and will be open from 8 .m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Other times are available by appointment and the office will be closed on holidays.
President/CEO Jeff Arndt was joined by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, former Mayor and U.S. Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros and VIA Board Chair Fernando Reyes at the project office to celebrate its opening. Though phased construction on the corridor isn’t set to begin until 2025, the office opened as a community resource, offering the opportunity to meet with project team members, give feedback and get updates about the transformative transit project.
The celebration comes on the heels of action by the City Council and VIA Board of Trustees, approving two Interlocal Agreements (ILAs) that solidify the partnership between the two entities on moving the Advanced Rapid Transit North-South Corridor to an anticipated completion in 2027.
Known as the “VIA Rapid Green Line,” the corridor runs from near the San Antonio International Airport along San Pedro Avenue, through Downtown and onto Steves Avenue, near Mission Concepcion. VIA Rapid is a new type of mass transit in San Antonio that generally runs in dedicated lanes, outside of regular traffic, and includes elements designed to reduce trip time. That includes off-board fare collection, level platform boarding and transit-priority traffic signals that will keep the Green Line running even during periods of peak traffic and congestion.
Advanced Rapid Transit is a key element in VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan that voters approved in 2020. The Project Office reflects VIA’s ongoing efforts to keep the public informed and engaged about the project, which is designed to move more people faster and farther, and connect them to more opportunities for education, employment, goods and resources. Project resources will include digital and print information and updates, as well as staff members available to respond to questions and comments.