{"id":383271,"date":"2026-07-23T02:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/383271\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T02:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:15:08","slug":"could-commuter-buses-connect-new-braunfels-san-antonio-regional-study-explores-future-transit-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/383271\/","title":{"rendered":"Could commuter buses connect New Braunfels, San Antonio? Regional study explores future transit options"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO \u2013 If you\u2019ve ever spent longer than expected sitting in traffic on Interstate 35 between San Antonio and New Braunfels, you\u2019re not alone. A new regional transit study <\/a>is exploring whether commuter bus service could one day offer drivers another option.<\/p>\n

The New Braunfels Transit Connect study recommends five potential regional bus routes connecting New Braunfels with San Antonio, San Marcos and Seguin as the population continues to grow and congestion along I-35 increases.<\/p>\n

For commuters like Shannon Melton, the daily drive from New Braunfels to San Antonio can vary dramatically, anywhere from 50 minutes to two hours.<\/p>\n

Despite the long commute, Melton said she would not trade her car for a bus.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe as a commuter, no, I would not. I could not trust the timeline,\u201d she said. \u201dI think it would make me more late, more than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another commuter, Ava Miller, also said she wouldn\u2019t be interested in using a commuter bus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally wouldn\u2019t take a bus as a younger woman; sometimes buses are scary for younger people,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n

Regional planners said the study is intended to identify future transportation options as communities along the I-35 corridor continue to grow. The recommendations are still in the planning stages, and no funding has been approved or timeline established for implementation.<\/p>\n

In a statement to KSAT, VIA Metropolitan Transit said regional connections will become increasingly important as Central Texas continues to grow. The statement can be read below:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the public transit provider for the greater San Antonio region, VIA is at the forefront of connecting people to what matters most \u2014 jobs, healthcare, education and each other. Our region is growing rapidly, and that growth doesn\u2019t stop at the county line.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrengthening our connections with neighboring communities like New Braunfels isn\u2019t just an opportunity, it\u2019s essential to our shared economic future. As a partner with the AAMPO, VIA was proud to lend our technical expertise to this study and help envision what a more connected region can look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis study is an important first step \u2014 but turning a plan into reality will take sustained conversation, real coordination and dedicated funding. VIA is ready to lead those conversations, and we look forward to being an active partner in building the connected, thriving region our community deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n

VIA Metropolitan Transit<\/p>\n

While regional leaders continue discussing the proposal, some commuters say they would rather see improvements made to the existing highway.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think HOV lanes would help a lot for commuters; getting the construction finished would be the biggest thing,\u201d a commuter said.<\/p>\n

The proposed commuter bus routes remain conceptual, and additional planning, coordination and funding would be required before any service could begin.<\/p>\n

Read also: <\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 If you\u2019ve ever spent longer than expected sitting in traffic on Interstate 35 between San…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383272,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[2417,359,82,84,83,840,21310],"class_list":["post-383271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-interstate-35","tag-new-braunfels","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news","tag-transportation","tag-via-metropolitan-transit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/383272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}