SAN ANTONIO — As San Antonio grows so does the need for more, and faster ways to get around town. In this Verify, we look into one claim that has been floating around for years. as our highways are constantly expanding and needing construction.
So what about other modes of transportation in the future? That leads us to tonight's claim sent in by KENS 5 viewer Lisa Hollis
THE QUESTION
Is it true that the City of San Antonio is working to get a light rail train?
THE SOURCE
- Clifton Hall, the Transportation Planning Program Manager at the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
THE ANSWER
FALSE
WHAT WE FOUND
Hall tells us the answer is complicated.
"The Alamo area has looked at commuter rail between Austin and San Antonio before and right now, for the past ten years up to now, it just hasn't been feasible so far," said Hall.
But Hall says there is interest politically to add that rail corridor, and then possibly one to Dallas in the future, but it'll take quite a bit of time.
"The problem with that is we have to decide what we want to do first, a few years probably minimum. And then after that, I would guess it would take about 20 years to fully implement," Hall said.
Hall says Amtrak is planning to add more service from San Antonio to Fort Worth, and also to Houston.
"Hopefully that will include service upgrades, more frequency, better times. Because if you've ever taken Amtrak in San Antonio, it has a crazy timetable," said Hall.
So no, it is false. The City of San Antonio is not working to get a light rail train.
Hall also told us that those additional service lines that may be added are in Amtrak's 15-year plan, and would likely not be added in the near future.