Frequent service connecting Brooks area is a highlight of planned service enhancements

SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 16, 2019) — VIA Metropolitan Transit will open its new Brooks Transit Center on August 26, which will be home to a new Prímo route that expands high-frequency service to one of the fastest-growing communities in the region.

Route 102 is VIA’s third Prímo line to debut since 2012, and part of VIA’s ongoing investment in more frequent service. The Prímo 102 will upgrade the service from Route 550/551 with weekday service frequency every 12 minutes during peak times.

“The rapid and dynamic growth happening at Brooks is driving growth in our region and VIA is proud to be a part of that,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said. “The new Brooks Transit Center will provide convenient smart transit options and comfortable amenities for riders in the area, and the connections it provides to local bus routes, Express Service, and the new Prímo on Military Drive will promote even more development at Brooks.”

It will connect the Kel-Lac Transit Center along Military Drive to the new Brooks Transit Center, VIA’s newest Smart Transit Hub. The facility will offer real-time, next-bus information, digital planning kiosks, ticket vending machines, a full-service information center, free Wi-Fi, micro-mobility options such as bike and scooter rentals, and more.

“Transportation is a priority for us as we continue to attract new businesses and residents to the area,” said Leo Gomez, Brooks President & CEO. “The new VIA Brooks Transit Center establishes a transportation hub for the Southside, improving connectivity to and from our campus for all of our San Antonio community.”

The Prímo 102 upgrade is part of planned service changes that will begin in August. They include two new routes:

  • 102 Prímo Military– Route will connect Kel-Lac Transit Center along Military Drive to new VIA Brooks Transit Center, upgrading the service from Route 550/551 with weekday service frequency every 12 minutes during peak times.
  • 552 Loop 410/W.W. White Skip – Route will serve the segment of routes 550 and 551 between Kel-Lac Transit Center northward to Brooks Transit Center.

The following service changes are also planned:

  • 3 San Pedro Skip – Route will depart North Star Transit Center on San Pedro Avenue, turning left and continuing southbound instead of traveling on Loop 410, McCullough Avenue, and Rector Street.
  • 4 San Pedro Frequent– Route will depart North Star Transit Center on San Pedro Avenue, turning left and continuing southbound instead of traveling on Loop 410, McCullough Avenue, and Rector Street.
  • 6 US 281 Express– Route will be extended south from the downtown area to Brooks Transit Center via Cesar Chavez Boulevard, I-37, and SE Military.
  • *17 IH-35 Express– Route will travel west through downtown on Commerce Street instead of Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
  • 20 New Braunfels Frequent– Route will travel on New Braunfels to Brooks Transit Center, and it will depart the center on Sydney Brooks and resume the normal route to Brookside.
  • *26 Martin Luther King – Route will turn right on Alamo Street from Cesar Chavez, left on Commerce, and continue through downtown to Centro Plaza.
  • 32 Steves– Route will be extended to Brooks Transit Center along Military, City Base Landing, and Sydney Brooks.
  • 34 South St. Mary’s Frequent– Route will enter Brooks Transit Center along its normal route.
  • 36 South Presa– Route will be modified to serve Brooks Transit Center via Sydney Brooks.
  • *93 IH-10 Crossroads/UTSA Express– Route will be consolidated with route 94, and it will serve La Cantera, The Rim, UTSA Main Campus, University Park and Ride, Crossroads Park and Ride, UTSA Downtown Campus, and Centro Plaza. Through downtown, the route will travel west on Commerce and south on the I-35 access road to serve UTSA Downtown before resuming the regular route to UTSA and The Rim. Service frequency during weekday peak hours will be every 15 minutes and every 30 minutes in midday. Weekday and weekend service to The Rim will increase frequency to every 30 minutes.
  • 94 IH-10 Fiesta Texas Express– Route will be consolidated with the modified route 93.
  • *100 Prímo Fredericksburg– Route will turn left on Bowie Street from Houston Street, right on Commerce, and continue through downtown to Centro Plaza before resuming regular route to the Medical Center Transit Center.
  • 301 VIVA centro– Route will be modified due to construction. From Houston Street, the route will operate north on Santa Rosa Street, Travis Street, and Avenue E and continue regular route on Alamo Street.
  • 550/551 Looper Skip – These routes will be replaced by new routes 552 and 102 Prímo.

*These routes will operate on Commerce instead of Cesar Chavez when construction is completed, which is expected in Fall 2019.

The following routes will also have minor schedule adjustments: 2, 28, 64, 76, 90, and 96.

New pocket schedules are available at VIAinfo.net. Printed pocket schedules will be available at all VIA Information Centers and on buses. To see how these changes may affect your travel, use the online Trip Planner up to 14 days in advance and enter a trip date later than August 12, 2019. For additional information on the service changes, call (210) 362-2020. Customers also may conveniently plan trips, and purchase fares and passes with the new VIA goMobile app.

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About VIA Metropolitan Transit

VIA provides regional multimodal transportation options that connect our community to opportunity, support economic vitality, and enhance quality of life throughout our region. VIA, recognized by the Texas Transit Association in 2018 as the outstanding Metro Transit Authority of the year, serves 14 member cities and the unincorporated areas of Bexar County, operating seven days a week on 96 routes. Last year, VIA provided nearly 37 million rides across the region. Visit VIAinfo.net for more information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.