VIA rideshare offering overnight rides in San Antonio
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
VIA Metropolitan Transit is now offering overnight rides inside Loop 410 through VIA Link, a move that makes the on-demand service even more closely resemble a rideshare app.
Why it matters: The VIA Link experience can feel like using Uber or Lyft, but for a fraction of the cost.
The latest: VIA Link will now run midnight-4am Monday through Thursday. The After Midnight program offers rides between downtown and any bus stop inside Loop 410 for $1.30, standard bus fare.
- You can book a trip through the VIA Link app or by calling 210-655-LINK. The wait is expected to be less than 20 minutes.
Zoom out: VIA Link is a ride-sharing service the public transit agency launched in 2019. It allows riders to hail a shared van rather than wait for a scheduled bus.
- It operates in six "zones" across the city, each with its own hours. The downtown zone currently operates 7am-11pm daily.
The intrigue: The After Midnight pilot program is supported in part by an Uber Transit Innovation Fund grant VIA received this year.
- If there isn't a VIA Link van available for a rider, the program will dispatch an Uber or Lyft vehicle instead.
What they're saying: "San Antonio doesn't shut down at midnight, and neither should the ways people get around it," VIA CEO Jon Gary Herrera said in a statement.
- "Nurses, hotel staff, restaurant and bar teams — the people who keep this city running around the clock deserve a safe, affordable ride home when their shift ends."
What's next: VIA hopes the six-month pilot program will better inform future late-night services.