San Antonio — Funding Swap Approved

November 2012

The Texas Transportation Commission approved taking $92 million in state dollars set aside for U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 and putting it toward the downtown streetcar system.

The commission, which oversees the Texas Department of Transportation, unanimously approved the proposal at its monthly meeting. Now, Bexar County plans to take $92 million in Advanced Transportation District sales tax revenue originally set aside for streetcars and use it to help pay for U.S. 281 and Loop 1604.

Officials agreed to the funding swap to avoid any controversy about the use of ATD funds for streetcars. Opponents of the rail plan said that money could never be used for light rail. Streetcars and light rail are the same, they argue.

Although streetcar proponents, like Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, disagreed with the claim, they pursued the plan to ensure no further delay in completing the streetcar system. It's set to open by 2016 and 2017.

The mysanantonio.com site published the following map of planned routes: