http://smartwaysa.com/images/Banner_projectdetails.pngwww.SmartWaySA.com

Some of this is a couple of weeks old but some of the information is a couple of days old.

Ok, the couple of weeks old news, VIA has launched a mass transit plan called SmartWaySA. SmartWaySA is the process to develop a Comprehensive Transportation Plan that includes Bus, BRT, Streetcar, Commuter, Light rail and HOV lanes.

One of the first things that is to be accomplished is identify the corridors. Last Friday VIA unveiled the transit corridors as well as which type of transit option best suits them. That would be the map below:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3125/transitj.jpg

There have been 13 identified corridors that could be potential LRT (light rail) Streetcar or BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) corridors. What that means is the corridor was identified as one that can potentially have one of those three types of transit. Of those 13, 13 were identified as potential Street car, 9 labeled potential Light rail and 8 identified as potential BRT lanes.

VIA and the city are pushing hard for Streetcar especially for Downtown and the River North areas. VIA wants to have their first modern street car line up in 2-3 years.

As for Light rail, IMO, the LRT lines will be placed on the following corridors: Fredericksburg Rd, Broadway, Commerce St, Military Drive and Wurzbach Parkway.

Right now Fredericksburg Rd. is planned to have the first transit line and depending on how things go will open in late 2012 or early 2013 as either a LRT or BRT line. It was looking early on like BRT but now it seems it'll most likely be SA's first Light rail line.

The final transit plan will be in place by May 2010.

No matter what though, SA is planning the right way. :)

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/downtown/20090931via250.jpg

I always have apprehension that these long-term(or whatever you prefer to call it) plans will happen. I think it will happen, but when you take a city with more than 1mil who doesn't have REAL public transportation and then try to implement, it usually takes a while.....

These types of plans should've started earlier...
lol at the commuter rail, i wonder when that will happen? Hopefully it doesn't take the Houston approach, as were still waiting for ours....

Good Luck, San Antonio

No offense but as you can see those lines serve most of Bexar county and the population of Bexar is 1.6 million and SA does have REAL public transportation. I don't know what you're trying to get at.

No offense but as you can see those lines serve most of Bexar county and the population of Bexar is 1.6 million and SA does have REAL public transportation. I don't know what you're trying to get at.

I meant effective public transportation, and that requires some form of either light-rail,subway, etc. Something San Antonio is barely making plans for.You cant really tell me the VIA buses and trolley is EFFECTIVE for the city.

And thats a good plan, since it does serve the city, but didn't you mention that those are just potential corridors, implying that that they won't all get access to some form of LRT/BRT/streetcar? The way i see it, only a handful of those corridors will get picked, so i wouldn't say most of Bexar county will be served by those lines.

correct me if im wrong, of course.

The plan is a 25-30 year vision for public transit in SA.

The final plan which will be ready in May will tell more. Right now, for certain there should be two street car lines in the downtown and River North areas and a LRT or BRT line on Fred Road by 2013.

Nice its always great to see public transportation being implemented in a city with little to none at the moment (never been to SA dont really know what they are working with). But either way this is a positive sign I will be interested to see the final plan next spring.

http://***************/ref.php?id=764

I'm always amazed how little mass transit (light/heavy rail) major Texas cities have considering they are all in the top 10 in population. At least Dallas has DART but San Antonio should have been planning this 30 years ago but I guess better late than never.
Good luck SA!