SAN ANTONIO | City and Metro Transportation Thread

[Tornado]

I honestly don't trust VIA to get it right. That whole transit station up north of 1604 off 281 was a huge waste of money. I really don't see why that project got priority other than that they wanted to get it done to have the direct connect to the expanded 281 corridor.

[aggie2008]

Another fun thing to read through is the station plan VIA came up with. Would be really interesting to see some (or all) of these developed especially where the planned rapid transit lines intersect.

http://www.viainfo.net/wp-content/up...reas_FINAL.pdf

[aggie2008]

Originally Posted by Tornado

I honestly don't trust VIA to get it right. That whole transit station up north of 1604 off 281 was a huge waste of money. I really don't see why that project got priority other than that they wanted to get it done to have the direct connect to the expanded 281 corridor.

I agree that it probably wasn't the best use of money, my guess is that there was some sort of matching funding available either from TxDOT or US DOT. I'm sure there are people at VIA who apply for funding all of the time, they don't really get to pick what gets funded and they build what the other entities support.

[ajarreguin3]

I dont think the city of San Antonio understands that buses is not going to work.

The way to get people to commute is through light rails. SMH. Never going to happen to such a wonderful city.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by aggie2008

I agree that it probably wasn't the best use of money, my guess is that there was some sort of matching funding available either from TxDOT or US DOT. I'm sure there are people at VIA who apply for funding all of the time, they don't really get to pick what gets funded and they build what the other entities support.

ah, you are probably right on the matching funding. I want VIA to do well and create a well rounded system but they don't seem to have anyone really championing their cause to get to the level they need to be at.

Originally Posted by ajarreguin3

I dont think the city of San Antonio understands that buses is not going to work.

The way to get people to commute is through light rails. SMH. Never going to happen to such a wonderful city.

Light rails is nice and every city wants to have a set up but we won't see it here...almost positive. The trackless busses that were mentioned previously are our future.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Tornado

ah, you are probably right on the matching funding. I want VIA to do well and create a well rounded system but they don't seem to have anyone really championing their cause to get to the level they need to be at.



Light rails is nice and every city wants to have a set up but we won't see it here...almost positive. The trackless busses that were mentioned previously are our future.

Elevated trackless BRT in the core is probably the right fit for San Antonio at first with a transition zone into our suburban neighborhoods into regular at grade traffic with signal priority.

[HunterTX]

After growing up in Maryland/DC & also Pittsburgh PA. I am so used to subways/trolleys. If San Antonio had a light rail option I would totally use it but I will not use the busses unless I had to.

I agree the huge park and ride is a waste to me. It is about 10 min from my house so I pass it all the time and its crazy. I'm sure that is one huge way they did get the HOA lanes for the highway since VIA will manage them after TXDOT builds them.

[aggie2008]

Originally Posted by HunterTX

After growing up in Maryland/DC & also Pittsburgh PA. I am so used to subways/trolleys. If San Antonio had a light rail option I would totally use it but I will not use the busses unless I had to.

I agree the huge park and ride is a waste to me. It is about 10 min from my house so I pass it all the time and its crazy. I'm sure that is one huge way they did get the HOA lanes for the highway since VIA will manage them after TXDOT builds them.

A lot of my coworkers used the park and rides at I-10/1604 and the new Stone Oak one. If they had managed lanes from there to downtown even more people would use them. I think that is probably the vision, hopefully it comes to fruition at some point.

My biggest issue with buses now is the frequency which has been improved a lot with the $10M the city sent VIA's way the last few years. The sales tax reallocation will help keep this increased service running. The next step is dedicated lanes/signal priority in congested areas IMO not sure where this money will come from...

[ahealy]

Elevated BRT lines (think Wurzbach PKWY without the eminent domain left & right) or elevated rail. I could very much see 1 or 2 main lines serving huge hubs like the medical center snaking to downtown/pearl + airport to downtown.

Just dreaming, but for some reason I keep going back to a new-for-Texas form of mass transit for SA....mostly due to our age and unique roadmap.

[jaga185]

European company awarded $1.5B I-35 expansion project

The Texas Department of Transportation has chosen two subsidiaries of a global infrastructure company based in Spain for a $1.5 billion project to expand about a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 35 through a portion of San Antonio and several suburbs.

Ferrovial Construction U.S. and Webber LLC, both subsidiaries of Ferrovial, have been awarded the Interstate 35 Northeast Expansion (NEX) design-build project, the parent company announced Monday.

A consortium of both companies, called Alamo NEX Construction, will design, construct and maintain the portion of I-35 spanning from San Antonio to Live Oak, Selma and Schertz. Ferrovial expects it and TxDOT to execute the contract in June, with construction expected to begin in 2022 and last about six years.

"We look forward to leveraging our respective companies' strengths and our collective commitment to innovation for the benefit of Texas drivers who use I-35 daily to meet work and family obligations," said Angel Sanchez, CEO of Ferrovial Construction U.S., in a news release. "The combination of Ferrovial Construction's track record of successfully managing large, complex infrastructure projects in the U.S. with Webber's strong self-perform capabilities will yield another transformational mobility solution for one of the most congested roadways in our state."

The scope of work will include elevated managed lanes between existing lanes and frontage roads; four additional connector bridges at the I-35/Loop 410 North interchange; four new connector bridges at the I-35/Loop 1604 interchange; and the reconstruction or widening of Loop 1604 general-purpose lanes and bridges from Nacogdoches Road to east of Biltmore Lakes.

These projects will add up to more than 800 spans of bridge construction, 4,500 concrete beams, 31 million pounds of steel girders and 6 million square feet of bridge decks, according to Ferrovial.

“I-35 serves as a main artery for travel and international commerce in Texas, in addition to the project itself bringing jobs and economic opportunities to Texans over the next six years and beyond,” said Jose Esteban, president and CEO of Webber, in the release. “We’re proud to have been selected to work with TxDOT on this vital project that will help keep Central Texas moving forward safely and efficiently.”

Other participants in the project include T.Y. Lin International, Consor Engineers LLC, Othon Inc., PaveTex Engineering LLC, CSJ Engineering Associates LLC and Terracon Consultants Inc.

Farrovial has worked on five other major design-build projects in Texas totaling $6 billion in value, including segments of the I-635 LBJ Express in Dallas, the North Tarrant Express, and I-35W. It is currently building segments of Grand Parkway in Houston, slated for completion in 2022.

[The Model]

Originally Posted by jaga185

European company awarded $1.5B I-35 expansion project

This will work great for Bandera Road in Leon Valley

[wwmiv]

If it isn’t three lanes in each direction, it isn’t worth building.

[Rynetwo]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

If it isn’t three lanes in each direction, it isn’t worth building.

These lanes will be for thru drivers with minimal entrance and exits.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Rynetwo

These lanes will be for thru drivers with minimal entrance and exits.

Well yes, but that won’t work well unless it’s three lanes in each direction. Three lanes is the absolute minimum for realistic function.

[Keegan-B-SATX]

Kinda sad that we can't get an American company to build our infrastructure.

[krondog]

I found this video interesting and thought I'd share! Couldn't help to obviously think of SA as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxykI30fS54

• Video Link

[deaththepeople]

NotJustBikes is a great youtube channel

[forward looking]

This is an overused phrase, "such and such a development is- Sad", but in this usage this is very accurate I feel.
All of that infrastructure money- on top of the wealthy's offshore accounts and businesses? Particularly for the working class it is truly .....sad. This export of very large construction contracts, is money out the door for these souls.
Somebody, somewhere, within the Govt. needs to move and stop all of this squandering by the wealthy. Let this country build its' own infrastructure. The monetary statistics of this sort economic activity was sobering when I recognized it. These foreign companies must be paying their labor peanuts if they can come all the way over here and underbid us. If things weren't bad enough when money borrowed from China is the only way to operate the Govt. ?
So much Money to raise the Debt Ceiling? Then to permit huge corporations to not pay any taxes on their income or holdings? C'mon. Like a skunk, it smells like corruption to me.
Even to subsidizing oil companies? This arrangement grants money for oil exploration to energy companies so they do not have to bear the costs of finding crude oil. Exploration. What a sweetheart of a deal for their stockholders this is.
It is whom, that bears the brunt of all of these types of economic burdens?

Originally Posted by Keegan-B-SATX

Kinda sad that we can't get an American company to build our infrastructure.

[Rynetwo]

SA courting international airlines to expand global reach
The Alamo City airport has already topped the number of international passengers it handled in all of 2019

Austin clearly has a leg up on San Antonio when it comes to intercontinental air access, and that’s no insignificant advantage given the potential economic implications.

But the Alamo City is funneling more than four times as many international passengers through its airport than Austin has so far this year and that could prove a key stat as San Antonio officials engage airlines about expanded global connectivity.

Currently, the only flights available at San Antonio International Airport to non-U.S. destinations are to Mexico. Yet, in January through August of this year, more than 510,000 international passengers flew into or out of SAT.

Austin Bergstrom International Airport offers nonstop flights to several countries beyond Mexico including Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, England, Germany and the Netherlands. But its international passenger count over the same period was less than 110,000.

While Austin is far-better connected in terms of international air access, San Antonio officials are working to narrow that gap. On Nov. 10, local airport officials are expected to formally present to San Antonio’s City Council an approximately $2 billion strategic development plan that would significantly expand and improve SAT. That plan includes an extension of runway 13R-31L to 10,000 feet to accommodate more longer-haul aircraft.

“Our current runway does allow us to hit parts of Western Europe with the right aircraft type. We can access markets like London and Frankfurt now,” Pratte said. “The longer runway removes any constraints and allows us to go further into Europe and even Asia.”

San Antonio leaders met with international carriers prior to the pandemic. Those talks have resumed and City Council's backing of the airport redevelopment plan could lead to more serious dialogue.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...-airlines.html

[AwesomeSAView]

Originally Posted by Rynetwo

SA courting international airlines to expand global reach
The Alamo City airport has already topped the number of international passengers it handled in all of 2019





https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...-airlines.html