Introduction
Under the direction of former Mayor Ivy Taylor, the SA Tomorrow comprehensive plan was formed for the City of San Antonio to address the complexity of the subsequent 25-year growth of the city. Adopted in August 2016 with the help of the community, government, and key stakeholders to create a plan through 2020 and beyond. Projected growth for Bexar County is expected to add up to 1.1 million new residents, with 500,000 new jobs and 500,000 new dwelling units by 2040 (SA Tomorrow). The need for city planning was instrumental in combating the current community growth projection and connectivity. The plan has three focused areas: comprehensive, sustainability, and multimodal transportation, each providing a blueprint for shaping the city. In addition, SA Tomorrow intended to update the 1997 Master Plan Policy and create a guiding infrastructure and planning. Urban planners are faced with the competing demands of population growth while also ensuring the pace stays constant for economic development; it is equally as crucial for cities like San Antonio to create a fair balance of both monetary and non-monetary valuations that benefit community connectivity (Hardy, Bliss-Ketchum, Butler, Dissanayake, Horn, Huffine, Temple, Vermeulen, Wallace, & Karps, 2022). This study is focused on the critical evaluation of the SA Tomorrow Plan, specifically how connectivity and transportation play a role in supporting the sustainable infrastructure strategy.
Theory
The research question is, has the City of San Antonio progressed in its regional/commuter rail transportation goals from the SA Tomorrow Plan? Part of the plan was to consider regional and commuter rails for connectivity to the other communities within the city. Like other major cities in Texas, we see firsthand its versatile use on a community and equity. Components for predominant land uses surrounding the transit station should be: • high-density residential closer to the station • central transit station along a regional or heavy commuter corridor, • an active mix of uses that serve the station (SA Tomorrow Plan) The unique features entice pedestrian access to regional transit and bicycle connectivity, which activate the surrounding neighborhood. The VIA Centro Plaza, Robert Thompson Transit Center, and future Lone Star Rail all have the potential to realize the regional/commuter rail place type fully.
In a forgiving spatial land mass like the concept of Broadacres, traffic problems would be obsolete due to spacious multiple-lane highways without curbs and ditches, which make driving enjoyable (Wright, 2020). But in the 21st century, and 7th largest city, we aren't afforded such land mass opportunities, and a commuter transit rail is forced to deal with everchanging construction costs, jurisdictions, land acquisition fees, and suitability efforts (Kim, Wunneburger, Neuman, & An, 2014). VIA Vision 2040 plan aligns with SA Tomorrow's strategies, which consider the landscape and multimodal transportation plan. The best approach, in theory, is to prepare for a system of this magnitude to have the right mix of high-capacity transit, density, legislative support, and alternative funding sources. However, this type of infrastructure requires multiple-plan integration from the city and is technical, and can disrupt an urban land use system but not create the proper coordination. (Wei, Yin & Zhong, 2019).
Findings-Critical Evaluation
A commuter rail of this type costs millions of dollars, but as SA Tomorrow so eloquently added, we have the right mix of mixed-use, high-density spaces that could feature a unique system. The comprehensive plan for the city is part of three urban center typologies to address land use, street network, and housing density. In the six years since the plan's implementation, there still is no commuter or advanced transit rail, but projects from VIA have been moving at a decent pace. VIA has made strides in transit, such as the 2021 planning launch of the Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) plan, which offers light rail-like speed with lower maintenance costs and is the closest form of commuter rail for the city (Cerna, 2021). VIA took advantage of COVID-19 funding and current elected officials by presenting the best-case ART plan with the help of the previous 2020 vote that approved an Advanced Transportation District (ATD) to sustain the infrastructure to support light rail (VIA 2040). Though VIA is the city's governing transit system, many stakeholders need to come to the table to bring a cumbersome plane to reality. Agencies similar to the corridor management team (CMT), a cooperative multi-agency team that has been active for over 30 years, coordinate the transit programs and construction with the City of San Antonio, VIA, and the Country. The CMT cooperative has not changed its strategy since 1975, which has led to ineffective leadership and coordination for the city (Friebele & Irwin, 2009).
That has not stopped VIA from being a leader in planning. The most considerable traction to date is the projected 2027 ART project, estimated at $320MM, that would run for 12 miles from the airport to the west side of downtown San Antonio (SA Report). San Antonio is 1 of 7 projects on the docket for approval from the Federal Transit Administration to legislation. As seen in Austin, Houston, and Dallas, we understand that commuter rail can benefit that city's infrastructure and climate; therefore, the net effects of production should outweigh the impact on individual communities (Pan, 2013). This is the largest commuter rail-like project VIA and stakeholders have led from SA Tomorrow Plan. Like Austin, San Antonio has an opportunity to conceptually examine the spatial configuration of land use in high-capacity transit corridors and build a case for policymakers to fund transit in our communities (Park, & Kim, 2017). San Antonio is strategically placing itself in line for legislative support to assist in creating a new rail transit system that would benefit the city. A project like this can open up other transit lines that would go north to south and allow east and west-side community members access to otherwise unavailable services due to transportation. In 2020, constituents approved a half-cent of local sales tax revenue increase to VIA that will begin in 2026, but it should be noted this project is not counting on those funds but more on a Department of Transportation grant, which they have not received in over ten years (SA Report).
Conclusion
Much like Austin and other Texas metroplex cities, San Antonio has similarities and a moral responsibility to find ways to adapt a commuter rail system for all parts of the city. Progress to date is the most impactful and progressive plan regarding commuter rail transit from the SA Tomorrow Plan. There should be a discussion around Plan B. What if federal funding does not happen? VIA is not prepared to fund a multi-million-dollar advanced rapid transit system without federal aid, and it would not be until 2055 that it could afford a project of this magnitude. Our transit and connectivity challenges still exist and will continue to unless we keep pushing. We must focus on our city to vote for fair transportation tax, elect forward-thinking transportation leaders, leverage funds, and long-term planning.
Future people count, and we all must do our part and think Longtermism to make the city a better place for the lives ahead of us (MacAskill, 2022). The shortcomings of the road ahead and strategy should be the focus in building and planning for a city desperately in need of access. The conclusion is that San Antonio is making meaningful strides towards a commuter rail as scheduled in the SA Tomorrow Plan. Though there is only one solid plan, VIA and the City of San Antonio are leading the way, and we will monitor funding in 2023 in hopes of an ART implementation.
References
Cerna, S. (2020, January 21). Via: Looking ahead. VIA Metropolitan Transit. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://www.viainfo.net/via-looking-ahead/
Friebele, & Irwin, P. L. (2009). Multi-Agency Regional Transportation Management in San Antonio, TX, USA. ITE Journal, 79(6), 46–47.
Hardy, de Rivera, C. E., Bliss-Ketchum, L. L., Butler, E. P., Dissanayake, S. T. M., Horn, D. A., Huffine, B., Temple, A. M., Vermeulen, M. E., Wallace, H., & Karps, J. (2022). Ecosystem Connectivity for Livable Cities: a Connectivity Benefits Framework for Urban Planning. Ecology and Society, 27(2), 36–. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13371- 270236
Kim, Wunneburger, D., Neuman, M., & An, S. Y. (2014). Optimizing high-speed rail routes using a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS): the Texas Urban Triangle (TUT) case. Journal of Transport Geography, 34, 194–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2013.11.014
Luo, & Yang, B. (2021). Towards resilient and smart urban road networks: Connectivity restoration via community structure. Sustainable Cities and Society, 75, 103344–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103344
MacAskill, W. (2022, August 5). The Case for Longtermism. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/opinion/the-case-for-longtermism.html
Pan. (2013). The impacts of an urban light rail system on residential property values: a case study of the Houston METRORail transit line. Transportation Planning and Technology, 36(2), 145–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081060.2012.739311
Park, & Kim, H. W. (2017). The cross-level impact of landscape patterns on housing premiums in micro-neighborhoods. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 24, 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.03.020
SA Tomorrow (August 11, 2016) Home, SA. Available at: https://sacompplan.com/ (Accessed: October 30, 2022).
VIA's first advanced rapid transit project was recommended for federal funding. (2022, March 31). San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/via-advanced-rapid-transit-federal-funding/
Wei, Yin, Y., & Zhong, G. (2019). Research on Development Status of "Multiple-plan Integration" and Urban Comprehensive Transportation Planning. IOP Conference Series. Materials Science and Engineering, 688(2), 22058–. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757- 899X/688/2/022058
Wright, F. L. (2020). Broadacre City: A New Community Plan. In R. T. LeGates & F. Stout (Eds.), The City Reader (7th ed., pp. 401–406). Routledge
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Created with an image by Roberto Sorin - "Connecting Europe Express train in the Sibiu city station, Transylvania region, Romania"