A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

CEO'SCORNER

Reflecting on the previous year and what comes next

The CEO's Corner brings together a clear view of how VIA is performing, where we're investing, and how our work delivers real value for our customers and our community. It's a direct way for me to share how your investments are being put to work—translating into dependable service people can count on every day and keeping pace with how our region lives, works, and moves.

Over the past year, that focus shaped every decision we made to strengthen service and better support the everyday trips people depend on. The community report that follows reflects that progress—from ridership growth and workforce investment to momentum on the most impactful projects ahead.

Thanks to voters, VIA is investing more in higher quality service today than at any time in our history.

This year, those investments translated into meaningful improvements across our system, making a clear difference in the service we provide and the overall transit experience. As we move into 2026, our work continues full speed ahead, with focus on frequency, reliability, safety, and infrastructure—serving you better today and building for what comes next.

Thank you,

Jon Gary Herrera
President & CEO
VIA Metropolitan Transit

OUR 2025
COMMUNITY REPORT

In 2025, we made significant progress on many projects and delivered on providing more quality service to you.

MOVING THE SAN ANTONIO
REGION FORWARD WITH

ONE VISION. ONE MISSION. ONE PROMISE.

VISION

Be the driving force of our community's growth and success

MISSION

To take you to what matters most

PROMISE

Count on VIA, every ride

REASONS TO BELIEVE

Built by people. Proven by performance.

87%

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LEVEL

Achieving the highest service rating on record for the region.

907

OPERATORS

108 net new full-time bus operators driving reliability and frequency.

#1*

IN THE U.S.

Outperforming all peer transit agencies in customer satisfaction.

* Of participating measured transit agencies.

VIA LINK

Redefining reliability through access.

35%

GROWTH

SEAMLESSFIRST-MILE/LAST-MILE

CONNECTIVITY

Access is just as critical to public transit success as frequency. Our VIA Link service prioritizes both metrics to deliver a superior customer experience when traditional fixed route service isn't ideal.

Fixed routes require density. VIA Link provides coverage. By deploying on-demand service where it makes sense, we reduce the walking barrier and provide more access to more convenient service.

VIAtrans

Access without barriers.

26%

YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH

98%

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

We're delivering even more independence to our community, with a sustained focus on reliable, high-quality accessible service.

BUILT FOR WORKDAYS, READY FOR WEEKENDS.

50%+ GROWTH IN PARK & RIDE RIDERSHIP

Park & Ride is a simple customer proposition: Save time, breathe easy, and keep the last miles in your commute, efficient and enjoyable.

More riders are choosing Park & Ride for daily commutes and special-event trips, with event-day service proving just as valuable as weekday reliability.

15 MINUTES The average Park & Ride trip duration to the Paul McCartney event.

THE FREQUENCY PIVOT

Less waiting. More living.

Customers tell us that frequency is the primary driver of ridership. Interest peaks at 84% when service arrives every ≤10 minutes, but declines sharply as service comes by less often. Once frequency exceeds 30 minutes, the service becomes unattractive for the majority of potential customers. Our focus this year was designed to solve this drop-off.

INTEREST IN USING TRANSIT

BY LEVEL OF FREQUENCY (MINUTES)

There is a steep decline in interest in using transit once service is 31 minutes or worse.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT

Turning time into traction

In one year, we redesigned service to better serve our customers.

2025

30% ≤30 min

70% 31+ min

The network had 70% of service operating at the least attractive levels of 31 minutes or longer.

2026

72% ≤30 min

28% 31+ min

Today, 72% of service runs every 30 minutes or better.

AMOUNT OF BETTER BUS PLAN IMPLEMENTED

65% Implemented

35% Remaining

Thanks to intentional focus on hiring and training, we are tracking toward 65% implementation of the Better Bus Plan by May 2026. This acceleration effectively achieves four years of planned improvements in a little over one year.

BUILDING TOMORROW'S TRANSIT

CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY

VIA RAPID GREEN LINE

10.35 miles connecting San Antonio International Airport through Downtown to the Missions area; service is projected to begin in 2028 with buses arriving every ten minutes on weekdays.

$268M

FEDERAL GRANT SECURED

2028

SERVICE LAUNCH

BUILDING MOMENTUM

VIA RAPID SILVER LINE

Thanks to our County partners, we secured $100 million to advance the VIA Rapid Silver Line. Our East-West corridor connecting Frost Bank Center to Our Lady of the Lake University area has achieved 40% design progress and secured environmental clearance.

40%

DESIGN PROGRESS

$100M

BEXAR PARTNERSHIP

2030

SERVICE LAUNCH

FUELING OUR ECONOMY

FOR EVERY

INVESTED IN TRANSIT

Generates

FOR OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY

And we are investing

$1.1B

OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

That return comes from two simple places. First, better transit means families spend less on gas, car repairs, and parking. Second, the money we spend to build and run the system creates real jobs — putting paychecks into the pockets of our neighbors and keeping money in our local economy.

That is the largest investment in transit in and from our region, and it’s already making a difference in how we’ve been able to transform service and your complete transit experience. These funds are already fueling construction on our advanced rapid transit projects and system upgrades.

Thanks for riding with us in 2025.

That’s a wrap

31.6

MILLION TRIPS IN 2025

Add up all the connections we’ve delivered for the community, and it equals a big leap for the region we’re proud to serve.

907

TOTAL OPERATORS

We strengthened our workforce by hiring 108 net new operators in 2025 to ensure more frequent and reliable service for our customers.

65%

BETTER BUS PLAN IMPLEMENTED

On the fast track. With better service connecting more people to what matters most.

50%+

PARK & RIDE RIDERSHIP GROWTH

Park & Ride is proving strong for daily commutes and weekend destination travel.

35%

GROWTH IN VIA LINK SERVICE

The on-demand service launched a new Southeast Zone, with more zones planned.

98%

VIAtrans CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

We focus on delivering a reliable service with a great customer experience.

ALL OF THIS WHILE EARNING

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN TRANSIT INDUSTRY

87%

Customer satisfaction in 2025 — the highest rating in the U.S. transit industry.

LOOKING AHEAD

MORE TO COME IN 2026

As we move into 2026, we have big plans focused on providing our customers with even more access to better service. Whether it’s expanding VIA Link with new zones, growing our workforce, or building on the momentum of our Green Line progress, our investments in frequency, reliability, safety, and infrastructure are moving full speed ahead to serve you better.