VIA Metropolitan Transit’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously adopted a $307.6 million operating budget for Fiscal Year 2025 that focuses on advancing the Keep SA Moving plan, workforce retention and recruitment, and ridership growth.

Under the spending plan, VIA will keep its fare structure unchanged for a ninth consecutive year, keeping the cost to ride among the lowest in the nation while investing heavily — 90% — in service delivery and improvements to the system. That includes:

    • 4.1% increase for fixed-route service to improve reliability and frequency on bus routes
    • 1.8% increase for VIAtrans to meet growing service demand
    • 39.7% increase for VIA Link on-demand service to meet demand and support the addition of a fifth zone, Downtown

The budget supports continued ridership growth on all VIA services. From October 2023 to June of this year — the most updated figures available — average weekday ridership has grown by 12.2%. During the same time, VIAtrans ridership has grown by about 6%, and VIA Link ridership has grown by more than 65%, in part due to new service. Ridership is expected to continue its upward trajectory in the coming fiscal year.

The operating budget projects a 3.45% growth in revenue from the Metropolitan Transit Authority sales tax levied across VIA’s service area.

VIA’s capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $265.9 million, nearly 60% of which is slated for continued development of the Advanced Rapid Transit North-South corridor, known as the VIA Rapid Green Line. Expected to open in 2027, the region’s first Rapid corridor will significantly reduce travel time for transit riders and make improvements designed to benefit drivers, cyclists and pedestrians as well.

The FY25 budget also includes annual wage increases of 4% for all employees in the new fiscal year.

“This year’s budget exemplifies our organization’s dedication to prioritizing improvements that benefit our community, taking care of our employees and continuing the investments that are driving San Antonio to a more mobile future,” President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said of the budget.

In other action, the board also amended their working conditions policy, which lays out wages and certain conditions of employment for many front-line employees. The policy was last updated three years ago and expired last month. For the past several months, VIA management has met with hourly-employee representatives from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 694 to discuss on proposed changes.

The working-conditions policy approved by the board sets wage increases through Sept. 30, 2027, and includes a 4% increase this year followed by 3.5% annually for the subsequent two years.

During Tuesday’s board meeting, ATU Local 694 Union President Brigido Almanza thanked President/CEO Arndt for his patience during the months-long process for the most recent discussions. He also thanked the senior team members for working with the Union to update the Working Conditions policy.

Additionally, Fleet & Facilities hourly employees will receive a $2 increase to their wage rate, which will be retroactively applied to wages from Aug. 1 of this year. The $2 increase to the hourly rate for all maintenance employees is designed to better align those wages with other transit agencies and the local market.

The three-year net cost of the updated working conditions is approximately $9.3 million and is proportionally reflected in this year’s budget.

Board trustees also voted to induct into VIA’s Hall of Honor three well-known community leaders: former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff; the late Glen Hartman, a former City Council member who played a pivotal role in the creation of VIA; and the late Robert Thompson, a bus operator and labor leader — who advocated for public-sector employees, including before the U.S. Supreme Court.

An induction ceremony for the newest members of the Hall, who join the two inaugural members, former VIA Board Chair Esperanza “Hope” Andrade and founding VIA Board Chair Marilyn Jones, will be held at a later date.