Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is asking VIA Metropolitan Transit to map out how the agency would test free bus rides on its busiest routes, a move supporters say could ease transportation burdens for working-class residents. But there are practical questions about how to replace lost fare revenue and manage expected increased ridership demand.
In a letter dated Feb. 16, Jones asked VIA President and CEO Jon Gary Herrera to provide a written plan for a six-month pilot program offering fare-free rides on the agency’s top five most-used routes — lines that Jones said represent about a quarter of VIA’s ridership.
The mayor requested that VIA deliver the written proposal by March 11. In the letter, Jones also referenced a VIA update given to the mayor and City Council on Feb. 11 and asked that the pilot be structured so it could begin July 1, 2026.
Jones’ letter asks VIA to spell out its “top five concerns” about implementing the pilot and to propose ways to mitigate those concerns. She also directed VIA to include options for how to offset the revenue impact of fare-free service.
Jones wrote that it is her understanding that fares make up roughly 5% of VIA’s operating budget and asked for three potential offset options. She also asked VIA to provide three options for a scenario in which the agency would only need to offset 3% of its operating budget.
Jones’ letter proposes that the city council approve VIA receiving Telecom Tax revenues under the 3% scenario. She also wrote that proposed offsets should not affect progress or operational timelines for VIA’s Green or Silver Lines, two major rapid transit initiatives that have been part of the region’s broader mobility planning.
“There has long been interest in moving to a fare-free system,” Jones said in a statement provided with the announcement. She credited the “leadership and advocacy” of councilmembers Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Ric Galvan for pushing the discussion forward.
She said a pilot could help “our most cost-burdened neighbors with their transportation needs.”
Jones also emphasized that transit workers and the local Amalgamated Transit Union chapter would be key stakeholders as the city weighs rider needs, workplace conditions and public safety.
Free-fare supporters on the council have framed the policy push as an equity measure and also a potential tool to address road congestion.
“My goal with fare-free ridership has always been to remove transportation barriers for our working-class families,” Galvan said, adding that he and others have spent the past three months elevating the debate and highlighting potential benefits.
McKee-Rodriguez pointed to worsening traffic and said fare-free transit is among the “tools at our disposal” to improve ridership and connect residents to food, health care and jobs.
Councilmember Edward Mungia called public transportation “a fundamental public good” and said fares can be a significant barrier to employment, education and basic services.
Other cities have tried fare-free service in different ways. Some have adopted systemwide free buses and others have implemented targeted route-by-route no cost ridership.
The outcome has been consistent with increased ridership, especially among lower-income riders. But the long-term question becomes how to sustainably replace fare revenue and manage crowding and service quality.
Kansas City made buses fare-free in 2020. A University of Kansas analysis found the policy attracted new riders and increased overall use. But Kansas City’s experience also shows the obvious downside of fare-free service: when budgets tighten, service suffers. After more than five years of free service, RideKC in Kansas City will reinstate a $2.00 fare for all buses starting June 1 due to budget constraints.
