home | community | a greener community

A Greener Community

San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Growth can be very positive for the community except that it brings with it more automobiles on the roads, more traffic congestion and more pollution in the air. Ground-level ozone is not only unhealthy, but it can impact our pocket books if our area gets saddled with additional federal air quality restrictions.

What is VIA doing to help with the solution? By providing high quality, convenient public transportation services in the San Antonio area, VIA offers citizens attractive alternatives to driving alone in a car. One full VIA bus means as many as 40 fewer cars on the roads emitting ozone-causing pollution in the air. Our riders are doing their part to keep our air clean while leaving the parking hassles, high gas prices and the traffic jams behind.

But VIA strives to do more. VIA uses ultra-low-sulfur diesel and particulate filters to reduce the amount of pollutants put into the air. Every new bus that VIA receives and puts into service meets the latest emissions standards as set out by the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, VIA replaced its older, diesel-powered streetcars with new ones that are powered by propane.

VIA's mass transportation system is only one part of the total solution to the air pollution problem and the threat it poses to our health and economy. We have to work together at all levels to make the air we breathe cleaner. Besides choosing VIA's bus or vanpool services, you can carpool to work, ride a bike or walk to the neighborhood store. Avoid driving during peak traffic periods and heed the warnings given on Air Quality Health Alert days.

San Antonio is a beautiful, unique city. We can work together to keep it that way. You can count on us.