VIA Metropolitan Transit used a February briefing with the San Antonio City Council to highlight near-term technology upgrades it says are already in motion, starting with a plan to consolidate the agency’s rider-facing apps into a single experience.
During the Feb. 11 City Council B Session, VIA board chair Laura Cabanilla told the council the new one-eighth cent sales tax revenue is obligated to deliver the Keep San Antonio Moving plan, the Advanced Rapid Transit work and technology upgrades, framing the investment as work that is already allocated.
In the question-and-answer portion of the briefing, Cabanilla addressed a recurring rider issue: multiple VIA apps. She told the council VIA added money in the prior budget year for an integration of all apps and said the integrated experience is supposed to launch prior to Fiesta in late April, adding that it still needs testing.
VIA President and CEO Jon Gary Herrera also described a technology change tied to paratransit operations. Herrera told the council that RideCo, the contractor behind VIA Link zones, is taking over back-end technology on VIAtrans, which he said would give VIA the ability to use zone capacity to help manage VIAtrans demand and improve service quality.
The app integration discussion at the council session mirrors language in VIA’s fiscal year 2026 technology planning documents, which describe a goal of delivering a “unified customer-facing mobile app experience.” Those budget materials also provide a broader look at how technology fits into VIA’s spending plan.
VIA’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget book lists a budget of $550.1 million, split between $336.3 million in operating and $213.8 million in capital and notes the operating totals include $21.7 million in lease amortization and Subscription-Based Information Technology Arrangement expenses.
The plan also calls for a customer relationship management system implementation, a data and reporting initiative, a third-party cybersecurity assessment and a radio refresh.
San Antonio Transit Agency to Overhaul Mobile App, Update Tech
What to Know:
- VIA told the San Antonio City Council it is working to integrate its multiple rider apps into a single experience.
- VIA also said it is shifting back-end technology for VIAtrans to RideCo, aiming to better use VIA Link zone capacity to help manage VIAtrans demand and improve service quality.
- VIA’s FY 2026 budget materials lay out a broader tech plan beyond the app work, including customer relationship management, data and reporting, and a third-party cybersecurity assessment.
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