By Edmond Ortiz
Converse voters who are casting a ballot in the Nov. 3 election will see one proposal that, if approved, could put an end to VIA Metropolitan Transit service in town.
What you should know
City Council voted Aug. 12 to call a special election where Converse voters are asked whether VIA service should be discontinued. A separate ballot question asks voters if they want to reauthorize the sales tax currently used to support local VIA service toward funding city street maintenance and repairs.
VIA usually receives 0.5% share of Converse’s sales tax. The agency’s funding sources include a portion of local sales tax revenues collected by cities that VIA serves across Bexar County.
Converse’s VIA allocation adds up to more than $2 million in revenue annually. That dollar figure is projected to exceed $3 million in 2030.
City leaders have said they no longer see value in staying with VIA, and that despite repeated requests, the mass transit agency is not inclined to expand its existing service provision of three routes and 37 stops.
According to VIA data, more than 75,600 trips originate in Converse yearly, and the elimination of local VIA service could affect 14,000 annual VIAtrans paratransit trips that begin or end in Converse.
City leaders’ other complaints about VIA include purported low ridership on buses traversing Converse, inadequate coverage from the VIA Link on-demand rideshare service, and VIA’s inability to help pay for road surface damage that is compounded by the frequent passage of large VIA buses.
VIA Link operates in a network of designated stops within a service area, such as the Randolph Zone, which functions in the city of Kirby and in between Windcrest and Converse.
Additionally, city leaders claim VIA refuses to negotiate the rate at which Converse allocates its portion of sales tax revenue for public transportation service.
But VIA representatives have told Focus on San Antonio that when Converse voters first chose years ago to have their city participate in VIA’s system, they agreed to a set sales tax rate endorsed by the Texas Legislature.
“That rate was established when VIA became Texas’s first metropolitan transit authority created by public vote in the 1970s, and state law requires the same rate to be collected uniformly across all member cities. It cannot be negotiated,” VIA said in a statement.
VIA representatives added that, if Converse voters elect to withdraw from VIA, service would immediately cease but funds would not be freed up for a while. The Texas Transportation Code requires a withdrawing city to keep collecting the sales tax until it satisfies its share of VIA’s outstanding debt, which the agency confirmed is $12 million for Converse.
The alternative?
Converse officials have been using the city’s social media channels and a series of public informational meetings to promote a transit replacement option, which would be provided by the Alamo Area Council of Governments’ Alamo Regional Transit program.
AACOG’S ART program offers curbside pick-ups and drop-offs for residents who call to reserve a ride any day of the week. Individual fares would range from $2 for a trip inside Converse, $6 for a trip to another Bexar County community, or $8 to travel into a neighboring county. AACOG’s small ART buses are equipped to transport wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
What they are saying
City officials have said they want voters to decide what is best for Converse in terms of public transit options. Some leaders have said the money that goes to VIA could be repurposed on essential things that affect all Converse residents.
“There are a lot of projects and improvements that can be completed with an extra $2 million,” City Manager Stan Farmer said at an Aug. 4 council meeting.
Residents such as Deborah Coley backs the city’s proposal, saying there are many reasons to support replacing VIA with AACOG’s on-demand service.
“Practical access is limited to about a quarter mile of the route, so most residents pay into VIA without a usable stop nearby,” Coley told Focus on San Antonio. “Full coverage, free rides, and more local dollars staying in Converse.”
But other residents, primarily those who do rely on VIA, wonder about the efficiency of AACOG’s transit service. Patricia Neeley told Focus on San Antonio that she has many questions about the alternative option, especially when it comes to regularly transporting disabled passengers.
“I have personally witnessed VIAtrans make people wait up to two hours. I just don’t think this is feasible, and how will I, as a taxpayer, be affected,” Neeley said. “Nothing in life is free and, if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t.”
When and where to vote
Early voting will be held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 19-23, and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 24 and 26-30, and noon-6 p.m. Oct. 25 at 56 voting stations, including the Converse Community Event Center, 407 S. Seguin Road. Election Day polling locations will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Additional town halls on the local VIA election are planned for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 22 and 29 at the City Council chambers, 402 S. Seguin Road.
