VIA Metropolitan Transit

VIA Metropolitan Transit serves the city of San Antonio, Texas as well as its surrounding municipalities.

History

VIA Metropolitan Transit began operations in 1978 after voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund the service. It is the successor to the San Antonio Transit System.

Routes

As of 19 August 2024, VIA separates services as Frequent and Standard, with color coded routes indicating base frequency.

Prior to 19 August 2024, VIA operated 5 different types of routes; Metro, Frequent, Skip, Express, and Primo:

Metro (Purple) routes serve specific residential areas and usually run every 30-60 minutes.
Frequent (Red) routes are similar to Metro routes, but run every 15 minutes through most of the day.
Skip (Green) routes serve frequently-traveled roads but have fewer stops to reduce travel times.
Express (Orange) routes run along major highways in San Antonio and are designed for quick travel between Downtown San Antonio and specific residential area, and transit centers.
Primo routes are Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines that serve the heaviest traveled corridors using articulated buses and 40 foot buses. VIA plans to expand Primo service to other corridors in future decades.

Routes are numbered as follows:

1-99: Local routes serving Downtown San Antonio; routes are numbered clockwise starting from Blanco Street (Line 2)
100-199: Primo Bus Rapid Transit services
200-299: Late Night "Lineup" Routes serving Downtown San Antonio (departs from Downtown San Antonio at 10:30pm, 11:30pm and 12:30am)
300-499: (Not Used; 400-series previously used for circulator buses in Downtown San Antonio)
500-699: Feeder Routes connecting residential neighborhoods and transit centers; do not serve Downtown San Antonio

Route Tables Under Development

Routes Serving Downtown San Antonio

2 Blanco Frequent

3 San Pedro Skip

4 San Pedro Frequent

5 McCullough

7 US 281 Stone Oak/Brooks Express

8 North St Mary's

9 Broadway Frequent

14 Perrin Beitel Skip

17 IH-35 Express

20 New Braunfels Frequent

21 Kirby/Commerce

22 Hays

24 East Houston

25 East Commerce Frequent

26 M.L. King

28 Porter Frequent

30 Rigby

32 Steves

34 South St Mary's Frequent

36 South Presa

42 Roosevelt

43 South Flores

44 Pleasanton

46 Commercial

51 Nogalitos

62 Kirk

64 US 90 Express

66 Ceralvo

67 Laredo

68 Guadalupe Frequent

75 West Commerce Frequent

76 West Commerce Skip

77 Martin

79 Ruiz

82 Culebra Frequent

88 Bandera Frequent

89 Poplar

90 Woodlawn

93 IH-10 Crossroads/Roadrunner Express

95 Fredericksburg Road Frequent

96 Vance Jackson Frequent

97 West Avenue

PRIMO Bus Rapid Transit

100 PRIMO Fredericksburg

102 PRIMO Military

103 PRIMO Zarzamora

Late Night Lineup Routes

202 Blanco	Route 2
204 San Pedro	Routes 4 & 5
209 Broadway/Nacog.	Routes 9 & 10
214 Austin Hwy/Rand.	Routes 14 & 17
222 Hays/ E. Houston	Routes 22 & 24
225 E. Commerce/ML King	Routes 25 & 26
230 Rigsby/Porter	Routes 28 & 30
232 Steves Ave/S. St. Marys	Routes 32 & 34
242 Roosevelt/S. Presa	Routes 36 & 42
243 S. Flores/Pleasanton	Routes 43 & 44
246 Commercial St.	Routes 46 & 48
251 Nogalitos St.	Routes 51 & 62
268 Guadalupe St./Ceralvo	Routes 66 & 68
275 Commerce/Laredo	Routes 67 & 75
276 Commerce/KLAC Transit Ctr.	Routes 64 & 76
277 Martin/Ruiz	Routes 77 & 79
282 Culebra	Routes 82
288 Bandera/Evers Rd	Route 88
289 Poplar/Woodlawn	Routes 89 & 90
296 Vance Jackson/West Ave.	Routes 96 & 97

Feeder Routes

501 UTSA / Leon Valley

502 Thousand Oaks

503 Huebner Crosstown

505 Basse

509 Hildebrand

515 Southcross

522 24th St. / Babcock

524 General McMullen Frequent

534 Wurzbach Frequent

552 Loop 410 / W.W. White Skip

602 North Star / Medical Center

603 Medical Center / UTSA

604 Medical Center / University Heights

607 Medical Center / Ingram

609 Ingram / Mainland / Medical Center

610 Ingram / Northwest Crossing

611 Valley-Hi / Kel-Lac

612 Kel-Lac / Westlakes

613 Heritage NW / Kel-Lac

614 Hidden Cove / Kel-Lac

615 Kel-Lac / Heritage Park

616 Sky Harbor / Kel-Lac

617 Kel-Lac / Rainbow Hills

618 Ingram / Westlakes

619 Kel-Lac / Indian Creek

620 Northwest Vista College / Ingram

632 Randolph / Ventura

647 North Star /Harry Wurzbach

648 North Star /Stone Oak

651 Deco District /Castle Hills

Fares

Local: $1.30

Express: $2.60

Transfers: Free

Day Pass: $2.75

VIAtrans (Paratransit) Service: $2.00

31-Day Pass: $38

7-Day Pass: $12

Semester Pass (for K-12 and College Students): $38

Transit Bus Roster

Active

Fleet Number(s)	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
118-125	2022	Gillig	Low Floor EV 40' (G28D102N4)			Replaced the propane trolleys downtown. Currently being tested on routes 2/34 and 14/44
376-405	2010	New Flyer	DE40LFR	Cummins ISL	Allison E^P40 hybrid system	Used on express routes only. First order of diesel-electric hybrid buses. Feature cushioned seats and reading lamps. Recently repainted into the new red livery. 3 active
406-420	2016	New Flyer	XN40	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R
421-691	2016-2017	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport ISL G	Voith D864.6	Part of a 5 year agreement for up to 500 buses to replace the aging diesel fleet.
692-735	2018	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6
736-757	2020	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6
758-785	2022	Gillig	Low Floor 40' CNG (G31D102N4)	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6	First Gillig buses for VIA First buses in the fleet to include USB charging ports underneath the seats Order of 28 out of 113 buses
801-806	2020	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6	LFX styling. Feature cushioned seats and reading lamps.
807-820	2023	Gillig	Low Floor 40' CNG (G31D102N4)	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6	Option order of 14 buses
850	2000	NABI	40-LFW (040.05)	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R	Only remaining active NABI in fleet. Used to issue new tap ID cards for future fare payment.
947-950	2010	NABI	40-LFW CNG	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B400R	First order of CNG buses.
951-966	2012	NABI	60-BRT CNG	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B500R	First order of articulated buses. Used exclusively for the Primo (Route 100) service.
967-969	2013	NABI	60-BRT CNG	Cummins Westport ISL G	Allison B500R	Purchased for fleet expansion when service was added to the city of Leon Valley.
970-987	2018	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6	LFX styling. Primarily used on routes 102 and 103.
988-989	2020	Nova Bus	LFS Natural Gas	Cummins Westport L9N	Voith D864.6	LFX styling. Primarily used on routes 102 and 103.

On Order

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes

Retired

Fleet Number(s)	Build Date	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
77-95	1982-1983	Chance	VS-24			Trolley replicas used in "Alamo Street Car" service.
96-100	1999	Optima	AH-28 Propane	Cummins Westport B LPG Plus	Allison B300R
101-114 (2nd)	2005	Optima	AH-28 Propane	Cummins Westport B LPG Plus	Allison B300R
111-120	1980	Chance	RT-50
115-117	2012	Proterra	EcoRide BE35			First electric buses in the fleet. Only used on downtown circulator routes. All retired and auctioned off in 2021.
123-129	1984	Chance	RT-50
130-137	1985	Chance	RT-50
138-177	1986	Chance	RT-52
200-320	1977-1978	GMC	RTS-01 (TH-8201)	Detroit Diesel 8V71N	Allison V730	Bus 267 (VIN: 094) and bus 294 (VIN: 119) were bought from a private owner in late 2021 and early 2022 respectively, and are currently being restored by the South Texas Bus Preservationists at the Texas Transportation Museum in San Antonio, TX.
200-260 (2nd)	2003	NFI	D40LF	Detroit Diesel Series 50 EGR	ZF 5HP592C
261-324	2005	New Flyer	D40LF	Cummins ISL	ZF 5HP592C
325-338	2006	New Flyer	D40LF	Cummins ISL	ZF 5HP592C
339-375	2008	New Flyer	D40LF	Cummins ISL	ZF 5HP592C
321-443	1981	GMC	RTS-04 (T7W-204)	Detroit Diesel 6V71N	Allison V730
444-528	1984	GMC	RTS-04 (T7W-204)	Detroit Diesel 6V71N	Allison V730	506 was purchased by a private owner for an RV conversion project. It was not completed and was listed on Craigslist in South San Antonio, TX on 10/3/2019.^[1]
529	1988	TMC	RTS-06 (T70-606)	Detroit Diesel 6V71	Allison V731
530-632	1988	TMC	RTS-06 (T70-206)	Detroit Diesel 6V71	Allison V731	1 unit (VIN: 1TUNDT2A2JR825715) was purchased by American Bus Coach Inc. and became a party limo bus numbered 105. It was spotted near Annandale, VA on 2/12/2018.^[2]
633-662	1992	TMC	RTS-06 (T80-206)	Detroit Diesel 6L71TA	Allison V731
663-729 (1st) 947 (1st)	2000	Champion	Solo			Powered by propane fuel.
730-809 (2nd)	8/1999^[3]	NABI	40-LFW (040.05)	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R	First buses built in North America equipped with the Cummins ISL engine. Some units were rebuilt using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Some units were repainted into the new VIA wave livery.
810-889	2000	NABI	40-LFW (040.05)	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R	Some units were repainted into the new VIA wave livery. 850 is the only bus still active for special duty.
890-946	2001	NABI	40-LFW (040.05)	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R	Some units were repainted into the new VIA wave livery.
9901	1978	GMC	RTS-01 (TH-8201)	Detroit Diesel 8V71N	Allison V730	Original fleet number is 317 Listed for auction on PublicSurplus in October 2021.
	1982	MCI	MC-9			VINs CP037374 CP037375