The San Antonio Mobility Coalition (SAMCo) was created in 2001 to bring focus to the community’s short- and long-range transportation funding needs. The coalition was borne out of a need to remain competitive with other Texas cities and to address a projected $18 billion transportation funding shortfall in the San Antonio region..

SAMCo is organized as a public-private partnership providing continuity and legitimacy through its public partners as well as ingenuity through its private partners.

Working in partnership with TxDOT, Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, VIA Metropolitan Transit, the Bexar County-San Antonio MPO, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, area legislators, and the private sector, SAMCo’s strong advocacy has helped generate more than $1 billion in new and/or accelerated funding for transportation projects in our region over the past six years, including:

$340 million – Advanced Transportation District (ATD) and ¼ cent sales tax approved by voters in November 2004 to fund City, VIA, and TxDOT projects. Over the initial ten years, the ATD will conservatively generate $340 million ($34 million per year) for transportation improvements.

$300 million – Highway acceleration package for San Antonio approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in 2006 for portions of IH-410N, IH-410S, IH-35, I-10, and portions of Blanco and Culebra Roads. Eight projects totaling more than $300 million were let in 2006 and 2007, advancing these projects by up to 11 years.

$307 million – Despite organized opposition from the San Antonio Toll Party, the City of San Antonio bond program (Proposition 1) for street and sidewalk projects was approved by 76 percent of voters on May 12, 2007.

$30 million – As part of the federal reauthorization bill (SAFETEA-LU) approved in 2006, SAMCo successfully advocated for seven San Antonio earmark projects totaling more than $30 million.

Numerous smaller grants and loans for San Antonio transportation projects supported by SAMCo since 2002 easily place the overall total at more than $1 billion. This does not include additional TxDOT funding for the San Antonio District resulting from placing various TxDOT funding categories on a formula basis so that San Antonio receives roughly 11 percent of these funds, much higher than in previous years. SAMCo and its predecessor organizations successfully advocated for this landmark change in 2003. The $1 billion total also does not include the $1.3 billion concession agreement for the final 40 miles of SH 130 to Seguin, a long-standing SAMCo objective.

Since its founding, SAMCo has advocated in Austin for new transportation funding tools and approaches; actively supported the Alamo RMA in its efforts to develop a toll lane system along portions of Loop 1604 and US 281; helped secure funding and approval to expedite delivery of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Commuter Rail services; advocated for rail relocation and safety programs; organized delegation presentations before the Texas Transportation Commission, Congress, and various legislative committees; and hosted several major community forums and luncheons on emerging transportation topics.

During 2008, SAMCo will continue to aggressively pursue additional transportation funding at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. Primary action items for the coming year include advocacy on key transportation issues before interim legislative committees and the 81st legislature, organizing an effective urban transportation coalition with our counterparts from other major Texas cities, and continuing to support the Alamo RMA in its efforts to develop a toll lane system on Loop 1604 and US 281.