San Antonio (March 29, 2017) — The Texas Transit Association (TTA) has announced VIA Metropolitan Transit President and CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt as their 2017 Outstanding Public Transportation General Manager in recognition of his work to deliver transit options for our region that are better, faster, and smarter than ever before.
TTA bestows this award annually to a public transportation manager who has made exceptional contributions to the transit industry and the State of Texas. Through this recognition, TTA heralds Arndt’s role in creating the opportunities that will allow San Antonio and surrounding communities to meet the transportation needs of our growing region, in addition to recognizing past transit accomplishments throughout the state as a member of the private sector and academia as well, including the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
Arndt joined VIA in 2012, after a 25-year career at Houston METRO where he achieved the position of Senior Vice President of Operations/Chief Operating Officer. Since being named VIA President and CEO in 2013, he has led the development of multiple innovations in the form of service products, enhanced passenger amenities, and strategic partnerships to advance transit throughout the region. Recent notable initiatives realized under Arndt’s leadership include:
• An aggressive program to install 1,000 new bus shelters over a three-year period. By the close of 2017, 95 percent of all VIA boardings will occur at sheltered locations.
• Implementation of free 4G LTE WiFi on every VIA vehicle and at every major facility. The program’s launch in late 2015 earned VIA the distinction of being the first major transit agency in the nation to offer system-wide WiFi service.
• The completion and opening of Centro Plaza at VIA Villa, a state-of-the-art transit center that offers modern passenger amenities, environmentally sustainable design, and transformative development to the historic West Side of San Antonio. Opened in November 2015, Centro Plaza saw an estimated 1.1 million passenger trips in 2016, its first full year of service.
In addition to his service as CEO for VIA, Arndt serves locally on the Boards of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Visit San Antonio; San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE); and Centro Alliance. He also serves on the Board of the Texas Transit Association and is Vice President of the South West Transit Association. He has previously been recognized as a CEO Champion of Diversity for the Texas Diversity Council, and received the inaugural Secretary Ray LaHood Award from the San Antonio Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) for advancing the careers of women and minorities in transportation.
VIA Metropolitan Transit 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 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 90 routes. In 2015, VIA provided 42.2 million rides across the region. VIA’s AAA bond rating reflects the organization’s sound management and financial practices. Visit www.VIAinfo.net for more information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.