VIA Watch: Promises vs. Performance

Project Track Record

Click any project to expand details

Stone Oak Park & Ride

UNDERPERFORMING

Opened 2018

Investment

$32M

Promise

"When those kinds of investments were present, the demand just mushrooms"

— VIA CEO Jeff Arndt, Sept 2020

Reality

211 riders/day, max 65 cars observed in 400-space garage

-95% vs. capacity

Cost breakdown: $25M garage + $7M Hwy 281 ramp

Capacity: 400 parking spaces

Pre-pandemic: 275,000 trips (June 2018 - Feb 2020) = ~411/day

Post-pandemic: 176,000 trips (2023 - April 2025) = ~211/day

KSAT finding: "Never counted more than 65 vehicles parked there"

Route 7 status: 7,281 passengers in Sept 2024 - "one of most underutilized in network"

VIA response: Rod Sanchez (Aug 2025): "Stick around. More use coming in the future."

Current plan: Converting to VIA Link rideshare hub - zone won't activate until 2027

Cost per daily rider: $151,659

Sources

KSAT Investigates (Aug 2025) News 4 San Antonio I-Team Express-News (Nov 2024)

Scobey Complex

FAILED

Purchased April 2017

Investment

$5.2M

Promise

"Transit-oriented community" with housing, offices, retail near Centro Plaza

— VIA Strategic Plan, 2017-2021

Reality

8 years dormant, VIA calls it "an eyesore"

N/A - Never built

Property: 270,000 sq ft, 6 buildings, 2.6 acres at 301 N. Medina St.

Location: Adjacent to Centro Plaza - VIA's busiest transit hub

Planned cost: $66.5 million for full redevelopment

Developer: DreamOn Group selected 2021

Termination: November 2023: Agreement terminated

Cited reason: "Pandemic-related market conditions"

Federal funding: Never applied

March 2025: VIA declined interview requests

"It's an eyesore" — VIA Communications Director Josh Baugh

Sources

Axios San Antonio (Dec 2023) San Antonio Report (Nov 2023) News 4 San Antonio (March 2025)

Primo Routes 102 + 103

MET TARGET

Route 103: Jan 2019, Route 102: Aug 2019

Investment

$60M

Promise

4,500 riders daily combined

— VIA CEO Jeff Arndt, June 2016

Reality

~7,800 riders/day combined (Nov 2023)

+73% above projection

Route 100: 4,833/day (Fredericksburg Road)

Route 103: 4,447/day (Zarzamora Street)

Route 102: ~3,349/day (Military Drive, extrapolated)

Total Primo: 10,629/day across all 3 routes

System share: 13.2% of VIA's overall fixed-route ridership

Caveat: Route 100 replaced existing high-ridership routes 91 & 92

Green Line BRT

IN PROGRESS

Construction started June 2025

Investment

$481M

Promise

8,000 riders/day (vs. 4,500 current corridor)

— VIA Planner Art Herrera, Oct 2024

Reality

TBD - Service begins early 2028

Projecting +78% increase

Total cost: $480.8 million

Federal grant: $268 million (Dec 2024)

Route: 10.35 miles along San Pedro Ave, Airport to Missions

Stations: 26 stations planned

Service hours: 4am - 1am daily (21 hours)

Frequency: 10 min weekdays, 15 min weekends

Current ridership: 3,500-4,500/day on corridor

Projected: 8,000/day

System goal: Grow from 30M to 50M annual trips by 2032

⚠️ Same optimism that produced Stone Oak projection. This dashboard will track actual performance vs. promise when service begins in 2028.

System-Wide Trends

System Ridership: 45% Below Peak

55M 40M 25M 10M

2008 48M

2010

PEAK

2012 50.8M

2013

2015

2017

2019

COVID

2021 23.3M

2023

2024 31M

2024 ridership (31M) is 39% below 2012 peak (50.8M) — despite San Antonio's population growth of 20%+ in that period.

VIA's explanation: Pandemic recovery, driver shortages, rideshare competition, work-from-home trends.

Governance & Money Flow

Board Composition: 100% Appointed, 0% Elected

City Council (5)

County Commissioners (3)

Suburban Mayors (2)

Chair (elected by board) (1)

Key Point: Voters have NO direct say in who controls their transit tax dollars. All 11 board members are appointed by other elected officials.

SAFA Lawsuit: The $13M Question

Legal Arguments

1. Texas Transportation Code 451.702(g): City entitled to keep 25% — cannot transfer to VIA
2. City Charter Violation: Council cannot delegate discretionary spending to unelected body
3. Constitutional Issue: Voters elect Council to control finances, not VIA board

"The city can't delegate the authority to spend tax dollars to another governmental body. The 25% the city must hold back amounts to $13.5 million, which the city could spend on potholes and streets."
— Jerad Najvar, Attorney for SAFA Action

Key Accountability Points

$32M

Stone Oak garage averages 65 cars

400-space facility serves 211 riders/day. KSAT: "Never counted more than 65 vehicles."

8 Years

Scobey Complex sits vacant

VIA paid $5.2M in 2017. Their own spokesman calls it "an eyesore."

-45%

Ridership below 2012 peak

Despite population growth of 20%+ and repeated tax increases.

Board members elected by voters

All 11 trustees appointed. Voters have no direct say in $307M budget.

$13.5M

Allegedly illegal transfer per year

SAFA lawsuit argues city violating state law by giving full share to VIA.

+78%

Green Line ridership projection

Same optimism that produced Stone Oak. Service starts 2028.

VIA WATCH

Project Track Record

Stone Oak Park & Ride

Scobey Complex

Primo Routes 102 + 103

Green Line BRT

System-Wide Trends

System Ridership: 45% Below Peak

Governance & Money Flow

Board Composition: 100% Appointed, 0% Elected

SAFA Lawsuit: The $13M Question

Key Accountability Points

Local Insights