While San Antonio still isn’t making any progress on getting any kind of light rail – much to the chagrin of urban progressives – the city’s public transportation agency is making major headway on the first rapid transit line coming to town. However, as with most big projects, it’ll be a headache long before it helps anyone.
Miles of San Pedro have already become a treacherous trove of construction sites and barriers. A large chunk of the busy thoroughfare has been reduced to a single lane in each direction, with swerves around barrier walls and white and orange fencing, as VIA Metropolitan Transit reconfigures the road to make room for dedicated bus lanes.
“Construction is active across segments 1 through 8 of the VIA Rapid Green Line corridor. Crews continue to advance both above and underground utility adjustments along all segments, with coordination efforts in place to help minimize conflicts and service interruptions,” the VIA website states.
Ultimately, the Green Line will run the length of San Pedro, connecting the airport to the missions and passing through downtown. The project is estimated to cost nearly half a billion dollars, with VIA securing its first federal financial partnership to cover a little more than half the cost.
The rapid transit lines will, ideally, be steady-moving buses that significantly reduce travel times for those traversing much of the city’s downtown. These new buses will have technology to trigger traffic lights to prioritize bus movement, and riders will be expected to pay their fare before boarding a bus to avoid payment lines. But this project isn’t slated to wrap up until 2028, and it’s going to have lasting impacts while it’s being built.
In the meantime, however, all existing bus stops will be closed between Breeden and Recoleta on northbound San Pedro, as part of a long list of bus stop closures announced this month. These include busy intersections and stops along San Pedro, such as Rector near North Star Mall, Basse Road and Hildebrand Avenue.
It also means major construction projects, including adding an island in the middle of San Pedro dedicated to these new bus lines and completely reworking intersections. Downtown detours along San Pedro have already begun cropping up around St. Mary’s and Marshall streets. And countless northbound lane closures started in June, with end dates yet to be determined.
MySA will keep you up to date on this project and the latest traffic news.