After a rocky start, VIA Metropolitan Transit’s downtown ride-hailing service has seen a surge in ridership and is now meeting most of its expectations, the agency says.
In January, members of VIA’s board of directors expressed alarm after the agency reported that its downtown VIA Link zone — the fifth such ride-hailing zone the agency had introduced since 2019 — had an average of 75 daily passengers on weekdays and 25 on weekends in its first 120 days of operation, far below the estimated 175 on weekdays and 100 on weekends.
In the period between August 25 and September 21, the zone had an average of 188 weekday passengers and 43 weekend passengers, according to numbers which VIA released in response to an inquiry from the Express-News. That period covers roughly the month after UTSA, with its growing downtown campus, began its fall semester.
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As part of VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Better Bus Plan, a new zone will debut in November, encompassing the Brooks community on the Southeast Side. This zone will replace portions of the 25 and 30 bus routes, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and businesses. Altogether, VIA is planning four new zones to enhance public transportation across San Antonio.
Find the full story here: VIA says downtown ride-hailing zone is improving after dire early numbers