Night rider
San Antonio night owls can now catch VIA rides after midnight
Thanks to a new pilot program, VIA Link will now offer rides in the wee hours.
For San Antonio's night owls, last call no longer has to end with a surge-priced Uber. VIA Metropolitan Transit has launched a pilot program offering late-night rides inside Loop 410 for the price of a bus ticket.
VIA Link After Midnight runs midnight-4 am Monday through Thursday, closing the gap in the regular 7 am-11 pm downtown services. Riders can travel in either direction between downtown and any bus stop inside the loop for VIA's standard $1.30 fare, with discounted rates available for those who qualify.
When no VIA Link van is available, the service dispatches an Uber or Lyft instead — made possible in part by a grant from Uber's Transit Innovation Fund received earlier in 2026.
The service won’t serve as a substitute for traditional ride share for weekend warriors. Instead, the pilot is aimed at “nurses, hotel staff, and restaurant and bar workers,” according to a release.
“The people who keep this city running around the clock deserve a safe, affordable ride home when their shift ends, said VIA President and CEO Jon Gary Herrera in a statement. “This pilot gives them one, and it will help us learn how to better serve late-night riders going forward.”
VIA launched Link in 2019 as an on-demand alternative to waiting on a scheduled bus, letting riders hail a shared van through an app. It now operates in six zones across the city, each with its own hours.
The transit authority hopes the six-month pilot will help shape its future transportation options for locals priced out by Uber, Lyft, and Waymo. Trips can be booked through the VIA Link app, website, or by calling (210) 655-LINK. VIA says it expects waits of less than 20 minutes.
