SAN ANTONIO -- Transportation and energy sectors are responsible for the bulk of San Antonio's greenhouse gas emissions.

  • About 85 percent of emissions produced by transportation, energy sectors
  • Three quarters of VIA fleet fueled by natural gas
  • Looking to get more cars off the road

According to the city's sustainability office, it's about 85 percent, but now VIA Metropolitan Transit is working to reduce that number. Right now, three quarters of the fleet is fueled with compressed natural gas as opposed to diesel.

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“When a bus pulls in and it’s connected to a dispenser, it will automatically turn one of the compressors on,” said Darren Shimek with VIA Metropolitan Transit.

The CNG fueling station may look like a regular gas station, but it's really an $11 million investment set up to supply natural gas from CPS Energy. 

"It's the same gas that everyone within the city receives at the same pressure," said Shimek. "That gas then comes through these lines."

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After going through a filtration system, the gas is run right into one of the seven electric compressors and compressed from 47 PSI to 4,000 PSI (pounds per square inch).

Ultimately, the process creates more efficient fuel for the 332 CNG buses. That steers it in the right direction of the city's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

“The plan really doesn’t have any easy answers to it," said Doug Melnick with the City of San Antonio. "When you start talking about addressing climate change it's about pretty significant transformation of our energy and transportation system and none of that is going to be easy.” 

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Of the 36 percent of emissions transportation is responsible for in San Antonio, 1 percent of that is from VIA buses. CEO Jeffrey Arndt was part of the plan to get that number down.

“If you really want to move that sliver, it has far less to do with what you do with 1 percent sliver than with the 36 percent sliver, which is getting more of those people to take alternative transportation,” Arndt said. 

In an effort to get more cars off the streets, VIA is taking a new approach.

"We have the VIA reimagine plan,” said Arndt.

VIA says they are working on better busing, smart transit apps or a service similar to ride share. Advance rapid transit, like lanes designated just for buses, is another option.

“If VIA in 2010 was a kitten, then in 2030 it could be a lion, and that’s why you have to reimagine what VIA is,” said Arndt.