VIA Advances $481M Rapid Green Line to Airport as San Antonio Expands Affordable Housing Budget to $37.7M

Keep SA Moving Initiative Powers 12-Mile Advanced Rapid Transit Corridor on San Pedro Avenue

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Transforming mass transit connectivity across the Alamo City, VIA Metropolitan Transit advanced major utility relocations and dedicated lane engineering along San Pedro Avenue on October 5, 2026, for the $481 million VIA Rapid Green Line. As the signature project of the voter-approved 'Keep SA Moving' plan, the 12-mile Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) corridor will connect San Antonio International Airport (SAT) directly through Downtown to the historic South Side upon opening in spring 2028.

The project features specialized low-emission articulated transit vehicles, off-board fare collection kiosks, center-running dedicated transit lanes, and smart traffic signal priority to provide 10-minute weekday frequency. Project managers emphasized that the corridor will drastically reduce commute times for hospitality, aviation, and healthcare workers traveling between the urban core and growing employment centers near Loop 410.

City Council Allocates $37.7 Million for Strategic Housing Implementation Plan

In municipal governance, the San Antonio City Council formally adopted its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, featuring a record $37.7 million allocation for affordable housing—an increase from the $31.4 million committed in the prior fiscal year. Directed under the city’s Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP), the funding provides zero-interest down payment assistance, home rehabilitation grants, and gap financing for multi-family affordable housing near the Pearl District and Westside neighborhoods.

The housing and transit developments follow swift municipal responses to severe early October thunderstorms that caused localized flash flooding near SAT Airport. City emergency management teams and Council representatives confirmed that rapid drainage improvements and green infrastructure investments remain top municipal priorities to safeguard vulnerable neighborhoods across Bexar County.