San Antonio officials weigh pilot for e‑carriages and broader micromobility changes

City staff told the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Dec. 2 that San Antonio officials are prepared to consider pilot programs for electric vehicle-for-hire services, including electric carriages, as the city phases out horse-drawn carriages.

"Since November 2022, chapter 33.900 has governed the operation of electric vehicle-for-hire service," said Rick Riley, assistant director of the San Antonio Police Department, outlining the code definition and limits. Riley told the committee the city currently allows 20 permits for electric vehicles-for-hire (15 standard, five tied to a Via Little Runner/UTSA contract), and that the fleet includes about 33 permitted drivers and roughly 25,000 trips so far in 2025. He said the vehicles must be propelled only by an electric motor and are limited to streets posted 35 mph or less.

John Jacks of the Center City Development and Operations department described the city dockless and bike-share programs, including that B Cycle operates 18 stations with about 111 pedal‑assist bikes and that Bird and Veo operate dockless fleets (each authorized up to 1,000 vehicles). He said average dockless trips are about one mile and 10–12 minutes; the presentation listed average per-trip costs of about $6.06 for Bird and $5.29 for Veo.

Why it matters: Council members flagged two policy priorities that would shape any authorization for e‑carriages and expanded permits: equity among existing carriage operators and data‑driven pilot design. Several council members said they want focus groups that include drivers, owners and riders; one council member urged piloting targeted routes or event-based service (for example, services between Sunset Station and Southtown) to gather usage and equity data before changing permit limits.

Council concerns and staff answers: Members repeatedly asked about permit caps and ownership concentration. "I don't know that a 1‑to‑1 permit transfer isn't necessarily the right move," the chair said, urging stakeholder convenings rather than automatic permit conversions. Staff acknowledged the current carriage system concentrates permits among a small number of owners (25 permits across five companies) and said choices include reducing total permits or increasing them to level the playing field, but that an impact study would be needed to estimate effects on street congestion and safety.

Costs and vehicle standards: Staff estimated an electric carriage costs roughly $20,000 and neighborhood electric vehicles about $8,000–$9,000. Minimum equipment standards discussed included headlights, turn signals and slow-moving-vehicle signage; registration and VIN requirements apply for registered low‑speed vehicles. Staff said several carriage operators had expressed interest in testing e‑carriages.

Autonomous ride-hail clarification: When asked how Waymo or similar autonomous services would be regulated, staff said those operators would be regulated at the state level and not under the city's Chapter 33 permitting.

Next steps: Council members directed staff to convene stakeholders, provide comparative data from peer cities and propose a structured pilot with focused geography and measurable metrics. No ordinance or permit transfer was adopted at the meeting; staff will return with follow-up information and proposals for next steps.