District 6 San Antonio Councilman Ric Galvan is one council member’s signature away from transferring forward on his dream of creating VIA bus fare free to all metropolis residents.
Impressed by the success of comparable packages in different municipalities, Galvan final 12 months started engaged on a proposal to make VIA bus fare free for all San Antonians by 2036. For the complete council to approve such a measure, he wants 4 different members to signal on to a Council Consideration Request (CCR), step one for initiating debate.
“Throughout the nation, there are completely different cities which have carried out this already or have tried it out and have seen a rise in ridership and fewer detrimental interactions between an operator and a buyer that may’t afford to pay,” Galvan informed the Present throughout a latest interview on a VIA bus.
The info doesn’t lie, the councilman mentioned.
After Kansas Metropolis grew to become the primary metropolis to enact an analogous initiative in 2019, greater than three-quarters of bus riders there reported utilizing the transit system extra incessantly. The bulk additionally mentioned they felt they might extra simply store and go to the grocery retailer, whereas many reported improved entry to healthcare suppliers.
Certainly, greater than 80% of these polled in Kansas Metropolis mentioned free bus rides helped them maintain or preserve a job.
Extra lately, Albuquerque Metropolis Council authorised free bus fare for all after a profitable two-year pilot program, and in 2024, Philadelphia Metropolis Council allotted $80 million to implement a fare-free program for these under the poverty line.
Even so, Galvan mentioned San Antonio’s program wouldn’t simply assist working-class residents. Cities which have made bus rides free additionally report spikes in middle-class ridership.
Eradicating the monetary barrier to journey has decreased automotive dependency whereas dashing up service within the cities which have tried it, he added.
“Every time somebody struggles to pay or is looking for the correct quantity of change, as a substitute of all of that, folks can simply hop on, and subsequently sooner service comes round too,” he mentioned.
In December, District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito’s workplace, by way of a public-private partnership, carried out a program providing semester-long passes at no cost rides to college students ages 12-18. Nonetheless, that initiative solely consists of sufficient funding for five,000 college students, and individuals a lot fill out an software to qualify.
“My factor is, after we do pilot packages like this, what are we making an attempt to get to?” Galvan mentioned. “I consider that if we will get higher companies and ensure it’s extra inexpensive for everyone by making it free for all, then why don’t we do this?”
After all, an enormous query stays: how would Galvan pay for it?
Funding discussions will “be a part of the method after we file the CCR,” the councilman mentioned, including that metropolis employees and VIA can be on the desk to verify all of it provides up. He additionally mentioned a brand new gross sales tax or public-sector help may very well be a part of the equation.
To date, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo and, most lately, District 4 Councilman Edward Mungia have all signed on in help.
With another signature, Galvan’s CCR would subsequent head to the council’s governance committee. If authorised there, it will be introduced earlier than the dais for a public dialogue and vote.
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