SAN ANTONIO — The VIA Silver Line is one step closer in its development.
On Tuesday, VIA Metropolitan Transit's Board of Trustees for the Advanced Transportation District approved an agreement with Bexar County that secures $102 million from revenues for the VIA Rapid Silver Line.
The move allows the project to proceed in seeking a 50% match in federal funding. The project is estimated to cost $289.2 million.
Last week, Bexar County commissioners agreed to fund the last portion of the $289.2 million project by contributing $100 million from existing funding. That amendment was approved Tuesday by the ATD board which finalized the local funding portion needed for the Silver Line.
“The agreement between Bexar County and the Advanced Transportation District is a crucial step because it secures the local funding needed for VIA to attract federal dollars, which we expect to cover 50% of the project cost,” VIA President/CEO Jeffrey C. Arndt said after the county vote. “We’ve worked closely with Judge Sakai, commissioners and David Smith to reach the agreement, and I look forward to our board taking up the issue for a vote on Tuesday.”
The Silver Line will connect the west side, starting around Our Lady of the Lake University, to the east side at the Frost Bank Center.
Service is expected to begin in 2029.
Last year VIA officials began discussions with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, County Manager David Smith and others to develop a funding partnership for the project.
The Silver Line is the second planned advanced rapid transit corridor. The Green Line is set to open in 2027 and will run from the area near the San Antonio International Airport, near San Pedro Avenue, through downtown and to Steves Avenue on the south side.
The projects are expected to collectively receive around $416 million in federal dollars, marking the first time in San Antonio history that the region has qualified for Capital Investment Grants from the Federal Transit Administration.
The transit lines are designed to connect more people to more destination in less time, according to a press release from VIA.
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