June 2011 VIA Metropolitan Transit San Antonio, Texas 2035 Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan Executive Summary Pre Pared for: VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, Texas Pre Pared by: Jacobs Int assocIa Ion wIth: Ximenes & Associates, RJ Rivera, Town Planning, Connetics Transportation Group, and BBP & Associates June 2011 VIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES LRCTP TEAM TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE h enry r. Muñoz, III, Chair VIA Bus and Rail Strategic Planning Leroy alloway, ARMA b ill barker, aIcP, COSA - Office of rick Pych, Vice Chair and Project Development Staff bill barker, AICP, COSA - Office of Environmental Policy steve P. allison c hristina M. castaño, Environmental Policy spencer r. (bob) hurst, Valley Forest LRCTP Project Manager Mary briseño Julie brown, TxDOT Neighborhood Association arturo herrera Linda chavez–thompson, Secretary Jelynne Leblanc burley, CPS Pamela Morsi Kiel, Alamo Heights Jason rodriguez Resident Gerald w. Lee christine Viña, aIa carmelina rocha davis, COSA - International and Economic rob Killen, City Coucil District I James Lifshutz VIA Bus Operations Development Dept. bianca Maldonado, Monticello Park bill Martin t racy Manning, cPa christina de La cruz, COSA - Public Works Neighborhood Association Lou Miller Jacobs hope olds, Chairwoman, City of Converse Manuel “Manny” Pelaez Mike frisbie, COSA - CIMS Dept. Javier argüello Building & Standards Commission Gavino ramos John Kulpa Jeanne Geiger, MPO Margaret richardson, Office of State VIA LEADERSHIP bill Lieberman Marcus hammer, COSA - Public Works Representative Jóse Menéndez Mike Mcanelly Keith t. Parker, AICP, President/CEO richard higby, Bexar County - Michael roberts, People Against roland a. Lozano, Deputy Director Jimi Mitchell Infrastructure Services Dept. Corruption Lee brian d. buchanan, Vice President of Bus nichols Ivan Jaime, Union Pacific Patrick shearer, Cambridge Realty Group and Rail Strategic Planning & Project robin Parker david Kruse, aIcP, AAGOG alejandro soto, President, Woodlawn Development ha nnah Pobanz sid Martinez, MPO Lake Community Association tony cade, Vice President of BBP & Associates Information Technology bradford McMurray, SAHA John f. strieb, City of Castle Hills Jim Prost Kelley nuemann, SAWS albert Uresti IV, Resident yogi cruz, Vice President of Connetics Transportation Group Human Capital c hris adkins allison shulze, AICP, al Uvietta, Leon Valley Resident/District bonnie Prosser elder, General Counsel Lone Star Rail District 125 Constituent susan rosales Gary Glasscock, Vice President of RJ Rivera Associates, Inc. clay smith, Pe, TxDOT christel Villarreal, Highland Hills Vehicle Maintenance Neighborhood Association r udy rivera Mary frances teniente, Bexar County - Keith J. hom, Vice President of Operations Infrastructure Services Dept. Linda Vela Priscilla Ingle, Vice President of Melanie Villalobos, SAHA Public Affairs Town Planning e mil r. Moncivais trish wallace, AICP, COSA - Planning and steve J. Lange, Vice President of Fiscal Community Development, AE Services Management/Chief Financial Officer Ximenes and Associates Larry wallis, Director of Audit s onia Jimenez Linda Ximenes IntroductIon Purpose of the Long range comprehensive transportation Plan (LRCTP) .................1 san antonio: a history of transportation Innovation ....................................................1 about VIa .........................................................................................................................3 Planning Process: committee oversight and Public Participation ..............................5 relationship to other Plans ............................................................................................7 future Updates ................................................................................................................8 Growth trends and MobIlIty Issues Local and regional Growth Patterns .............................................................................9 changes in travel Patterns and congestion ................................................................10 t he systeM Plan 2035 Long range comprehensive transportation Plan ............................................13 bus Improvements ........................................................................................................17 bus rapid transit corridors ..........................................................................................22 rail corridors .................................................................................................................25 downtown circulator corridors .....................................................................................28 Vision corridors .............................................................................................................31 Paratransit services ......................................................................................................32 VIa Vanpool ....................................................................................................................33 bicycle and Pedestrian Integration ..............................................................................35 Phas InG and IMPleMentatIon Project Phasing .............................................................................................................38 financial considerations ..............................................................................................41 Local and regional benefits .........................................................................................45 5 MOVING FORWARD ...Folks have often wondered when will we take the steps to invest in mass “transit commensurate with being America’s seventh largest city, and one of the fastest growing. I don’t think we’re going to have to wonder much longer. That time is now.” - Mayor Julían Castro Our greatest threat to the continued economic expansion of our region is our “ transportation system.” - County Judge Nelson Wolff If there are pots of money that are applicable to streetcar, light rail, bus rapid transit “or traditional bus transit in San Antonio that are not going to be used for one reason or another, and we can put them to use, we’d like to use them. - Henry R. Muñoz, III, VIA Board” of Trustees Chairman We can no longer comfortably look at VIA as just a bus company for the transit “dependent. It is also the catalyst for economic development, an agent of environmental responsibility and a determinant of how livable our city is. - Kathy Clay-Little, African American” Reflections Publisher City began its transition from a Introduction frontier town to a large American 1 metropolis once the railroad arrived in 1877. The following year, San Antonio began running a mule-drawn the riverwalk, san antonio, texas streetcar between Main Plaza and San Pedro Park. As the streetcar system The San Antonio/Bexar County Transportation Task Force set a challenge in continued to grow outward from the As one of the fastest growing cities 2009 for the region to establish and implement a true community-based vision. initial city core, development of new in the United States, San Antonio VIA Metropolitan Transit set forward to meet the challenge to create a citizens- neighborhoods followed, and the constantly manages finite resources driven transit vision which became the largest community outreach process in the streetcar defined the framework of to meet the fluctuating needs of the history of the agency, resulting in the Long Range Comprehensive Transportation today‘s inner city. As growth occurred community. The constant influx of Plan (LRCTP). in San Antonio’s early suburbs of new businesses and residents has service is vitally important to the Alamo Heights, Prospect Hill and provided diversity and sustainability Purpose of the Long community’s quality of life and to the region’s economic competitive Range Comprehensive Woodlawn Lake, transit service allowed economic competitive advantage. advantage. Consistent growth has Transportation Plan residents to travel greater distances This is especially true as the region required the city to invest in various (LRCTP) between work and home. Providing infrastructure improvements to meet Building on VIA’s existing bus continues to sustain its growth greater access to the city, the initial the needs of residents, businesses system, the LRCTP outlines policies, projections over the next 25 years. transit system was fundamental to the and industries. The continually specific corridor improvements, San Antonio: A History of growth of the community. evolving transportation needs, transit technologies, timelines and Transportation Innovation The regional shift from mass investments and innovation have funding options for transportation Known for its rich cultural and transportation to personal vehicular allowed San Antonio to thrive in improvements through 2035. historical attributes, San Antonio has economic booms and downturns. travel began with the installation of The plan explores ways to better consistently experienced success the first traffic signal in 1890 and the address and improve connections in establishing and maintaining sale of the first automobile by a San and transfers, travel times, overall diverse industries. San Antonio’s Antonio dealer a decade later. During level of service, facilities, amenities transportation advancements have this period, streetcar service was still and connections to other modes widely influenced the development in heavy