As San Antonio's South Side experiences rapid growth, public transportation is struggling to keep up with the surge in demand. VIA Metropolitan Transit, the agency responsible for providing bus services in the area, has been making adjustments to its routes, but residents are feeling the pinch. According to a San Antonio Report, some community members are forced to walk several blocks in challenging weather just to catch a ride.
In 2020, adjustments meant the removal of route 40 which directly served the Marshall Meadows Apartments, leaving residents with a further walk to the next available stop. The South Side has seen a population boom of over 50,000 in the past decade, and as District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia pointed out to the San Antonio Report, "I don’t think VIA is able to keep up with the growth." VIA has attempted to alleviate some issues by introducing its six-passenger VIA Link rideshare, which can be booked through an app, but concerns remain.
Ridership statistics from VIA show a 15% increase on the South Side compared to the previous year, with over 1.28 million trips recorded in the second quarter of 2024 alone. VIA spokesperson Josh Baugh noted that the percentage of service hours dedicated to the South Side has increased from 26% to 29% over four years, yet residents like 63-year-old Margarita Rubio still find the service lacking. "They’ve taken away a lot of bus routes," Rubio told the San Antonio Report. The elimination of routes and the necessity to rely on VIA Link with its similar wait times to buses has made getting around town much more challenging.
The economic impact is not to be overlooked, as some residents find themselves resorting to costly rideshares or informal, potentially unsafe alternatives when VIA Link is not available. “I don’t get a paycheck, I don’t get Social Security. Sometimes it’s $6 to ride, but I tip them. Sometimes it’s $18 to ride from here to Madla. … One time it was $52. I didn’t have enough money in the bank,” Rubio recounted. Facing difficulties in transportation impacts the most vulnerable, including those without reliable income or experiencing health issues that make travel even more onerous.
Looking to the future, plans for VIA's Green Line rapid bus route, slated to open in 2027, promise better connectivity along 11.7 miles with 26 new stations. But for now, the residents of the South Side must navigate an imperfect system, often at great expense and inconvenience. As VIA moves forward with projects like the Silver Line, Councilwoman Rocha Garcia emphasizes the importance of incorporating resident feedback: "I think we need more input in VIA’s future plans."
