The Comprehensive Operations Analysis (COA) is VIA’s review of existing services and how these services are functioning in the Greater San Antonio Region. By conducting a route-by-route study of existing VIA services, we are able to explore opportunities to increase ridership, enhance service efficiency and increase cost effectiveness.
BUILDING A BETTER BUS SYSTEM
Since the vision for 2040 began taking shape in 2015, VIA has been asking the community what type of transit system we want for our future. The conversations continued with discussions at hundreds of public meetings, and tens of thousands of surveys completed.
We listened. And we continue to learn, each day, what mobility needs and priorities are most important to you, the community.
We agree that a system with shorter wait times and faster trips, that’s easier to use, and offers a better experience, is what we all want. And it’s what we need to continue growing and improving our quality of life in the region.
Our work with partners at the City of San Antonio and across the region has put us on the road to building a better bus system for today and tomorrow.
But the vision for an improved transit system won’t be realized overnight. It will require helping us prioritize options as we consider investments and innovations in technology, providing the services needed for our fast-growing city, and balancing our available resources.
Our promise to you is that we remain focused on delivering the service you have told us you want and need.
VIA is driving the future of mobility, opportunity, economic development, and how we connect, celebrate, learn, and grow. Together.
WHAT DOES ``BUILDING A BETTER BUS SYSTEM`` MEAN?
Building a Better Bus System means creating a system that moves more people, faster.
Through our Comprehensive Operational Analysis, or COA, we’re looking for ways to improve bus service that will meet mobility needs now and in the future, using technology, forming partnerships, and tracking community feedback as our roadmap.
We see five main areas that will help change today’s public transportation system into one that can adapt and serve our growing community well into the future.
Smart Transit
Smart Transit uses new and emerging technology to make using public transit easier, quicker, and still affordable.
It’s already part of the VIA services.
VIA was the first transit system in the country to offer free high-speed WiFi on all our vehicles and at our transit centers. Our partnership with Bexar County Bibliotech provide free and instant access to the first all-digital library in the United States. And the VIA goMobile App brings the power of technology to the palm of your hand with digital trip planning and ticket sales.
Check out our Go Code SA Codeathon event to see how VIA helps bring great transit ideas together for smart transit solutions and a better bus system across the region.
Better Customer Experience
What’s more fun than waiting outside for your next bus? Literally anything else. We know.
VIA serves 7,000 bus stops over more than 1,200 square miles of Bexar County. That’s why, since 2014 VIA has invested in installing over 1,000 new bus shelters in the region.
With over 2,300 bus shelters in the community, 95% of the boardings that happen in the VIA system happen at a stop with a shelter. Over 99% of the boardings in our system happen at a stop with at least a bench.
In 2018, VIA is retrofitting solar lighting in shelters to help provide additional visibility and safety for riders across the community.
With the addition of goMobile (link), new buses powered by Compressed Natural Gas (link / image) and a continued focus on providing the best possible experience for our customers, including redesigning our transit centers across the system, we are redefining the VIA experience for riders and non-riders alike.
A Simpler Network
Learning to use public transportation can feel difficult, at first. There are routes numbers, stop numbers, schedules, and more. Our growing community needs a transit network that is easy to use so that you can feel confident and comfortable when you ride VIA.
VIA is exploring ways to make our network simpler and better connected. We will focus on ways to help you understand how our routes operate and look for ways to increase cross-town connections. By studying traffic patterns across the region, we will provide a network design that gets you where you want to go as quickly and as easily as possible.
Shorter Wait. Faster Service
The No. 1 factor in choosing to try transit is wait time. Investing in more frequent service — more buses that arrive more often — is the way to lessen wait time and give you back more of your time.
Working with the City of San Antonio, VIA has improved frequency on nine routes and within nine busy corridors where customers now experience a shorter wait and faster service. Improvements to more routes and corridors are coming soon and the addition of two new Primo lines, serving Zarzamora and Military, mean even more frequent service options.
VIA is investing in a more mobile future. We know there’s more to do. We’re finding new ways to fund faster transit options and provide the high-quality, accessible bus system the community wants and needs.
Late-Night Service
We know not everyone has an 8-to-5 day. We want to be there for you when you need to get to work or home, early in the morning or late at night.
We are looking at ways to increase our late-night service (hyper link) to offer safe and inexpensive options while also improving frequency on several daytime routes and adding new service where it’s needed.
Extending service would give employees a more cost-effective option for getting home late at night, allow students to stay on campus longer, and residents and visitors to enjoy the events, restaurants, and attractions that make San Antonio and the region a great place to live, work, play, and learn.
RESOURCES
System Ridership Map
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Population and Employment Map
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As VIA continues to move forward with building a better bus system we will look to you, our community, to help prioritize how a better experience, simpler network, and expanded service will be designed and implemented. Together, we can build a system that serves everyone.
