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VIA proposes VIA Link satellite and rural-bus funding to extend transit service to Sandy Oaks
Summary
VIA Metropolitan Transit told the San Diego council it can bring a VIA Link satellite and use federal rural-bus formula funds to provide curb-to-curb and paratransit options to Sandy Oaks with no additional annual charge to the city, but councilors pressed VIA on potential debt and a $3.4 million buyout liability if the city later withdraws.
VIA Metropolitan Transit officials told the San Diego City Council on Aug. 14 they can extend transit access to Sandy Oaks through a satellite VIA Link microtransit zone and by applying rural-bus formula funds the agency already receives as a partner city.
Tom Mars, VIA’s vice president for government affairs and community engagement, said VIA ran a prior pilot microtransit program in the area and that the agency can start new, expanded service as part of a southeast VIA Link zone launching Nov. 3. Mars said the proposal includes curb-to-curb options for seniors and people with disabilities and that eight users are currently grandfathered into VIA’s paratransit service from earlier arrangements.
Mars told the council that partner cities qualify for federal formula allocations intended for rural service, and that those funds could cover the local share of the proposed service “without costing you anything extra than what you currently allocate to us today.” He said an on-demand VIA Link trip to the Brooks Transit Center that includes a transfer into VIA’s routed service would be covered under a single $130 fare for certain long trips, with lower intra-area fares for shorter trips.
Council members asked several operational and fiscal questions. Mars and a VIA government-relations specialist explained three service models — fixed routes, microtransit (an app-based “link” service), and advanced demand-response with a 24-hour scheduling requirement — and shared published fare examples for in-county and cross-county travel. VIA said it can run a satellite Link service for Sandy Oaks that would connect riders to its Brooks Transit Center for transfers.
Councilors also pressed VIA about the financial implications of joining and, specifically, the risk if Sandy Oaks later withdrew from VIA membership. VIA staff said partner-city status brings formula funding to support service, but the city’s share of investments tied to expanded service could create an outstanding obligation if the city chose to leave. VIA staff described a potential buyout number on the order of $3.4 million tied to service obligations and capital investments, and repeated that the agency’s offering is meant to deliver many times the annual local allotment in service value. The council asked for written details and timelines to weigh the decision.
The council took no immediate vote to join or to withdraw from VIA. Members asked staff to provide clearer, written cost and liability analyses, and to ensure any final action would include a full accounting of what the city would owe if it later exited the partnership.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Tom Mars and VIA government-relations staff during the Aug. 14 council meeting. All quotes and claims in this article are attributed to speakers who identified themselves on the record during the meeting.
