After 13 years at VIA Metropolitan Transportation and 40 years in the transport sector, the transportation company’s chief executive officer Jeffrey Arndt formally retired on Jan. 3.
While he has a lot of leisure activities to maintain him active, Arndt visualizes he’ll locate a line of work outside the world of transportation, probably educating mathematics or offering fashion jewelry.
” I wish to have this following phase be something unlike anything I have actually done in the past,” Arndt informed host Robert Rivard on the most recent episode of the bigcitysmalltown podcast. “So my other half and I will certainly be relocating to Mexico next year.”
But Arndt will certainly be viewing San Antonio and will certainly see to commemorate the fruits of his and his group’s labor.
VIA prepares for beginning on the $480 million Eco-friendly Line in March and opening up the north-south bus quick transportation course at some point in late 2027.
” I have actually currently place them on my schedule so I can return,” Arndt stated.
The company additionally has strategies to construct the east-west Silver Line in 2027, which might range from North Gen. McMullen Drive on the West Side along West Business Road and East Houston Road to the Frost Financial Institution Fixate the East Side.
The quick transportation paths, which VIA calls “sophisticated quick transportation” or ART, are focused on supplying much faster, extra constant solution comparable to public transportation.
None of it would certainly be feasible without the voter-approved one-eighth-cent sales tax obligation that VIA will certainly begin to obtain in 2026 and the assistance of the City of San Antonio and Bexar Region, Arndt stated. This obtains VIA’s financing closer to what various other significant Texas transportation companies obtain and offers the company the capacity to take advantage of big government gives.
” by means of generates around 75% much less cash than Houston City does to offer the exact same dimension location,” he stated.
In enhancement to leading the sales tax obligation project, Arndt has actually concentrated on enhancing bus regularity and bus access.
” Regularity is the essential to solution,” he stated. “All the nationwide study states that if a bus runs every 10 mins, regarding 85% of individuals would certainly agree to consider it. … When it obtains past half an hour, [that] decreases to 5%. … Regrettably, the ordinary course in VIA now is 60 mins [frequency].”
That indicates that a lot of individuals riding buses do not have various other options to take into consideration– they can not pay for an individual car, he stated.
” Somehow, [the] transportation [industry] is practically shamed by that on a nationwide basis,” he stated. A great deal of companies wish to draw in the supposed “selection” motorcyclists that come through of selection, not of requirement.
” Yet I believe what we do is honorable and essential and essential,” he included. “There’s absolutely nothing to be shamed regarding the reality that you’re assisting individuals– that are battling to place food on the table occasionally– to reach a task.”
Jon Gary Herrera, formerly VIA’s elderly vice head of state of public involvement, took control of the helm of VIA on Jan. 4.
Arndt stated he seemed like a foster moms and dad, biding farewell to a kid.
He remembered by means of board Chair-elect Laura Cabanilla informing him he’s even more like a grandpa.
” In the beginning I assumed, ‘Oh, you believe I’m old,'” stated Arndt, that is 69.
What Cabanilla implied, he stated, was that he had “a psychological link … She states, ‘You plainly have a psychological link to VIA and, as a grandparent, you’re mosting likely to care quite regarding what takes place.'”
Listen to episode 87 of the bigcitysmalltown podcast listed below.
Disclosure: Robert Rivard is the founder of the San Antonio Record.
