Via Metropolitan Transit celebrated progress on its Westside Multimodal Transit Center Sept. 5 with a ceremonial groundbreaking on the second phase of the project, which includes a state-of-the-art transit plaza. Via leaders also announced the relocation of its executive offices to the adjacent historic depot building.
Phase II of the Transit Center will be completed in Fall 2015 and will function as a transit hub, improving accessibility to the UTSA Downtown Campus and the University Health System’s Robert B. Green Campus.
“This facility will create new foot traffic and encourage transit-oriented development in the area,” Via Chairman Alex Briseño said, stating that the project represents Via’s commitment to the community and to improving the daily transit experience for Via riders. He asked the audience to imagine the plaza as a congregational place for the community at the “gateway to the West Side, el corazon de San Antonio (the heart of San Antonio).”
County Judge Nelson Wolff thanked Chairman Briseño for his leadership at Via and recognized the importance of funding public transportation improvements. Projects like the Westside Multimodal Transit Center, will “significantly improve public transit” for San Antonio’s and Bexar County’s fast-growing population, Wolff said.
“One Texan, one pickup won’t work anymore,” County Commissioner Paul Elizondo added. “Hard, tough steps have to be taken,” he said and urged city and county leaders to continue investing in public transit options. “If a city doesn’t have quality transportation,” Elizondo said, “it’s not a quality city.”
Via President/CEO Jeff Arndt recognized the transit center’s role in future public transportation developments. “Once we are finished with Phase II in 2015,” Arndt said, “we will have even more transportation services running through here with six additional bus routes and connections to taxi service, inter-city bus service, and the anticipated Lone Star Rail service between San Antonio and Austin. This plaza will create a presence in the community, and it will stimulate development and instill a sense of place and pride. This is a significant investment.”
The Westside Multimodal Transit Center is part of VIA’s SmartMove initiative and is included in Via’s 2035 Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
