Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff have formed a nonprofit, ConnectSA, to increase awareness of and advocacy for mass transit planning and solutions in the San Antonio region, Nirenberg announced during his first United State of the City speech on Tuesday.
Eventually, that nonprofit could become the driving force behind a modern multi-modal transportation system plan that Nirenberg said could come before voters as soon as May or November of 2019.
Nirenberg also provided details about the new Blue Chips Jobs Council, an informal group of San Antonio business leaders who have agreed to help the City recruit corporations to invest in San Antonio. The council’s efforts, and work being done by the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation and the City’s Economic Development Department, will create 70,000 jobs in the area, Nirenberg pledged – “more jobs than any mayoral administration in San Antonio’s history.”
In his speech to about 1,200 business and civic leaders who packed the large ballroom in the Henry B. González Convention Center, the mayor presented the need for better transportation options as an issue crucial to economic development.
“The time has come for us to go all-in on mobility for the future,” Nirenberg said of ConnectSA. “This nonprofit will facilitate community input, conduct research, and build support to pave the way for citizens to vote on modern transportation for our city in 2019.
“And I’m confident when they do, they will say yes. We want better. No more status quo.”
Nirenberg campaigned on a comprehensive, affordable transportation network for San Antonio as he ran against former Mayor Ivy Taylor in 2017. ConnectSA, it seems, is Nirenberg’s attempt to follow through on that promise.
“The goal is a mobility system that utilizes technology and focuses on consumer choice,” Judge Wolff told the Rivard Report via text.
The nonprofit will raise private contributions, work with VIA Metropolitan Transit and other groups on mobility, and encourage voters to “approve a comprehensive mobility plan that includes multimodal mass transit corridors” and funding for the first phase.
ConnectSA will build on the research and outreach work done for VIA’s Vision 2040 long range plan and SA Tomorrow’s Multimodal Transporation Plan, to bring a complete package to voters.
Jeff Arndt, president and CEO of VIA, attended the event Tuesday and told the Rivard Report afterwards that ConnectSA’s leadership team will provide “super-charged horsepower” to advancing the transit authority’s existing plans. Among other things, the 2040 plan has identified rapid transit corridors – where growth and congestion call for higher-frequency service – and laid out possible avenues such as transit-oriented development, which would require coordination with public policy to make such development possible.
“Now is the time to take that plan forward with that extra horsepower to have the public assess it,” Arndt said.
Hope Andrade, the outgoing VIA board chair; former Mayor Henry Cisneros; and former City Attorney Jane Macon will serve as chairs for the ConnnectSA board, which also will include 20 to 25 business, County, City, and community leaders.
At first, ConnectSA will focus on getting the word out about the need for a “coherent transportation system,” Cisneros told the Rivard Report. “Then it will flow from there into individual initiatives … making the case for bond elections and so forth.”
Essentially, it could become a political action committee for ballot items related to the plan, he said.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Nirenberg likened the new nonprofit to the Brainpower Initiative launched in 2011 by former Mayor Julián Castro that ultimately got Pre-K 4 SA on the ballot in 2012. Fifty-three percent of voters approved the increase of local sales tax by one-eighth of a cent to go toward early-childhood education. That initiative was also introduced during a State of the City address.
Unlike public agencies such as VIA or City departments, ConnectSA can advocate for specific policy changes and funding mechanisms, Nirenberg said.
“Today, 79 percent of San Antonians – and most of you – commute alone,” Nirenberg told the audience. “With area roads on track to receive half a million more cars by 2040, something’s got to give. Traffic engineers are clear: business as usual – just building more roads and highways – means average commute times will increase by 75 percent.”
VIA operates with half the sales-tax funding of other public transportation entities of similar size, translating to longer travel times for passengers. City Council approved a fiscal year 2018 budget that increases funding by $4.3 million to cut in half hour-long wait times between buses in some parts of the city. If another $10 million is approved in the 2019 budget, VIA could cut wait times even further on some routes.
A City Charter amendment, approved by voters in the May 2015 election, requires a public vote on all rail projects involving the City. It’s possible, however, that the mobility plan may not include rail projects as trackless transportation technologies emerge.
“The city does seem to have an aversion to light rail, but I think one of the things we’re learning is that multimodal doesn’t necessarily translate to light rail – in some sense that’s a fashionable thing in cities,” Cisneros said. “But there are other cities where maybe other modes make more sense … It’s not about selling light rail, it’s a bigger set of issues than that.”
Many San Antonians have a bad taste in their mouth after the failed attempt to bring a streetcar system to San Antonio. Local and outside groups mounted a successful campaign against the project that led to the charter amendment. A non-rail option would not need to go before voters, but Nirenberg said it’s important to have community buy-in of the plan regardless.
“I’m increasingly interested in the trackless options that we’re seeing out of Asia and Europe, and that is because we have so much geography to cover,” Nirenberg told reporters. “We want to have a future-proof technology that can be scaled as ridership grows … trackless options – as long as they ride on their own right of way – with traditional infrastructure, to me, makes the most sense. But, again, in order to do this right we have to leave all options on the table.”
During his speech, Nirenberg also called for an increase to the City’s street maintenance budget next year. The fiscal year 2018 has allocated $99 million; Nirenberg wants $110 million for 2019.
Councilman Rey Saldaña (D4), who led the effort to increase the City’s budget for VIA, will serve on the board with Councilwoman Ana Sandoval (D7), State Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio), and State Rep. Ina Minjarez (D-San Antonio). The remaining members “will be chosen with input from City Council, the County, stakeholders and the tri-chairs,” according to a news release.
While San Antonio lags behind other Texas cities in terms of long-term, multimodal planning, Saldaña told the Rivard Report, that could work in its favor.
“That could be a strategic advantage if you consider: how do you future-proof a large investment? Is it trackless buses? Is it driverless vehicle systems?” he said. “They’ve laid tracks – they’ve laid down their beds. We happen to be in a position where technology is breaking and we can future-proof with the community’s input.”
The solution has to be one that takes care of the existing ridership and the so-called “option rider,” Saldaña said. He wants to fix it for those who ride the bus for two hours to get to work every morning and also “for the [big employer] of the future who will say, ‘Do you have a comprehensive bus system that meets the needs of my future employees?’”
We desperately need HOV lanes.
If we are to have this then those appointed to run these “non profits”, etc…. should be there because of their abilities not political cronies.
We all know the real cost will be 5 times the amount stated otherwise people wouldn’t vote for it. But understating the real cost is a way to bait and switch later.
It’s definitely not too early. You want things like this in before you build up large parts of the city to capacity. San Antonio can do this. Especially if Dallas County put in its rail system after the area was more densely developed than SA is now.
I wonder if all these people that suggest all these mass transit systems have an answer of where these are to go that don’t include using up lanes that are already paid for by the tax payers on already congested streets or pushing people off their land.
Exciting!!! This really needs to be about more than just VIA. As our sole metropolitan transit provider, VIA plays a critical role as the core transit layer of the overall network.
ConnectSA needs to include additional discussion of how we can improve our roadways, think of land use from a perspective of how it relates to general travel demands on our entire network, and consider key travel markets beyond the urbanized San Antonio area.
Our region’s aging population is growing faster than ever before and they demand liberty and independence to access everyday needs and exercise their right to safely continue participating in the community and local economy. Walking, biking and personal mobility need to have more deliberate consideration when making improvements to our public rights-of-way, and many of our congested roadways can be optimized when isolated choke-points are considered at a broader transportation system-level rather than one street, project or data set at a time. Widening streets or “building our way out” may not be the ideal or necessary solution for many segments of our road network, but something that improves overall safety and effectiveness needs to be done to enhance the transportation experience of all our neighbors.
There are emerging and proven technologies that present lots of opportunity to make more sophisticated, and perhaps more elegant use of the limited space we have to move everyone equitably across our community. Automation has a place among a diverse set of possible approaches to moving people in individual or shared vehicles, or even for distributing freight. Intercity, rural and high-speed options also provide a bigger picture framework within which we need to be considering congestion solutions and public transportation in San Antonio, and I sincerely hope that this is the intent behind moving the critical initiative that will be ConnectSA, forward. San Antonio indeed, has an opportunity to lead where others have tried to follow transportation innovations before, at the State and National level.
There is much overlap between the transportation dialogue and the broader housing, economic and workforce development, health and education discussions happening in our community today. Approaching community transportation by peering through a far more complex lens, and in a much broader context will be necessary to ensure the entire community gets a say in how we establish the foundation for the next generation of our regional transportation system.
#ConnectSA
BaRT! 3/4 cent to VIA! Yes, as Andres Velis points out, HOV for the personal vehicles! And I’m glad to read here, ConnectSA and dedicated transportation bonds!
And with auto-driven BaRT, and “VIA Trans 2.0” to service on-demand and option ridership like a taxi service, can we say “legacy light rail”, and focus instead on heavy-rail for a new LoneStar Texas Triangle!?
I totally agree that more than one voice is needed to speak for the future of San Antonio’s transportation, but not sure ConnectSA is the answer.
Is this non-profit created like SA300 or Centro with one foot in the door of the City or is it independent? The mayor mentioned the board but there still needs to be staff so who will that be and where will the funds come from to pay them?
The current San Antonio 200 miles of nature trails (and growing) has excellent potential as a walk, bike, and electric train transportation system.
The Linear Creek Way Advisory Committee and the San Antonio River Authority have done an excellent job in making the 200 miles of nature trails a “connected trail system”. This trail system can connect to VIA Bus stops, to sidewalks, to water and restrooms at parks, to stores, and to many destinations. See City maps and NatureTrailMaps.net for ways to Connect SA.
NatureTrailMaps.net uses exciting new mobile phone technology to facilitate walking and biking to VIA Bus stops and to final destinations, along the 200 miles of nature trails. Map 67 shows bus routes from up town (Pearl district) and down town, all the way south to Mission Espada. This new website is a work in progress. NaureTrailMaps.net welcomes your ideas to help make the 200 miles of nature trails in San Antonio a national treasure.
Now this is a suggestion that I can get behind. No eminent domain, and no pushing people off their land. Use the greenways!
50 years ago, Water Buses carried people to their destinations in HemisFair. The city missed the boat by not considering mass transit on the San Pedro Creek in the recent development project. Such a route would connect education centers, hospitals, City & Frost Bank offices, shopping, and tourist destinations.
Missed the mark? Not sure how a shallow creek could support the infrastructure needed for a mass transit system to functionally and reliably support thousands of people in their daily commute. Plus it already will connect all those things you mentioned, as a pedestrian corridor, by improving walkability. Mass transit that’s not hokey and tourist-centered needs its own right-of-way and extensive funding, not haphazardly slapped on a linear park project.
This is exciting news! ConnectSA will be an excellent vehicle (no pun intended), to move our great city forward. The longer we put this off, the more expensive it will be. I applaud the Mayor and County Judge for taking a pro-active stance and getting the ball rolling. Let me know I can assist in this much needed transit solution.
I GONA VOTE NO! DONT TRUST THE CITY OR THE LOCAL POLITICIANS! I ENJOY THE VIA BUS WHEN ITS ON TIME! THAT DONT HAPPEN TO OFTEN!
What?
While I definitely think we need more funding for better mass transit, the comment above also demonstrates San Antonio’s continued desperate need for more education funding.
I think you have missed the point made by the gentleman above (Martinez). He cuts to the chase. The real educated (in terms of actual experience with the city government and economic sector in SA) would not fall for all of the “charm” words (your know.. trendy/brands/catchy) as you, apparently, have.
He is saying that if the bus doesn’t even come on time… how are your going to do all of this without making a mess of things at the expense of the time, coffers, perhaps homes (ED) of our citizens (the real ones..the working class).
We’re the home to Siclovia, yet we have less than 5 protected bike lanes in the entire city. A bike lane that a car can park in, is not a bike lane. It’s proven time and time again that bike lanes increase business spending and make people healthier. Let’s do this San Antonio!
https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-for-converting-street-parking-into-bike-lanes/387595/
I’ve lived in a city and had my taxes pay for a failed rail system. How is all this green work going to get funded. Someone mentioned using the greenways, and I’m all for that. I’m not for taking up any existing lanes on already congested poorly-designed and poorly-kept roads. I will never use mass transit because they don’t allow pets that are too large to be in a bag, and they don’t allow conceal carry. I support the concept and science of automation, but don’t support them on our roads where there are pedestrians and other drivers. I don’t want some automated system deciding through logarithms whose life it will protect. Are you prepared to put your child’s life in that game of chance (without suing if you lose)? I want to know where all the revenues go that were intended for the upkeep of our roads? I want to know how you intend to pay for the structures? Bikes want their own lanes but don’t contribute anything towards road upkeep, etc, and neither does VIA. How about we stop all the pet projects around this city and fund this instead of all that other politicized stuff.