Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, San Antonio Style

Leadership San Antonio Class 44 just completed its third session. The topic? Transportation and mobility. The Transportation and Mobility Team filled their day with fun and disruptive experiences to challenge their colleagues to think critically about what factors influence transportation and mobility in our city and how that affects people’s lives.

LSA 44 kicked off their class day by starting at the historical VIA Grand with breakfast by Tim the Girl & Bird Bakery. During this time, the class members did a deep dive into the history and policies of transportation in San Antonio with some of our cities finest experts: Jeff Arndt, VIA, Secretary Hope Andrade and Bill Barker, ACIP, with Representative Charlie Gonzalez – of LSA Class 1 – as the moderator.

After contextualizing the city’s priorities in transportation, the LSA class took a tour of Central Plaza and walked from the Grand to the UTSA Downtown Campus where they played a trivia game with Game Show Host Roberto Mendez. The game challenged class members to wrestle with what they know about transportation and mobility as it currently operates in San Antonio. Class members heard from Councilman Rey Saldana throughout the game and learned more about his personal experience using solely public transportation in San Antonio and his engagement as a council member with policies affecting our transportation system.

After the trivia game, the class hopped on the bus and headed to Confluence Park, where they were greeted with lunch in style by MoJo Man Eateries Food Truck. The San Antonio River Authority, who graciously sponsored the lunch, reminded the class of a unique way to travel in San Antonio: kayaking the river. Providng tips and tricks, SARA noted that along the Mission Reach, there are occasional paddling chutes through restored riffles.

After refueling from lunch, the class went on a great adventure! Geared up for the challenge ahead, LSA class members and steering committee members divided into six teams and were tasked with making their way to Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex by using different forms of transportation mobility. Throughout their adventures, LSA make pit stops, exploring the city, learning fun facts about their unique modes of transportation and expanding their understanding of equity and access to transportation in the process. The Arts, Culture, and Wellness team were the first to arrive to Brick using Blue Duck Scooters, and up next, in waves, the walking groups, rideshare groups, and VIA Bus riders arrived with the Swell Cycle bike riders crew coming in as the caboose.

Working hard for a full hour, class members earned treats from Queen B’s Cupcakes and had the opportunity to debrief their experience over refreshing Paletas from Burgerteca. Sharing their reflections around what they learned and saw on their journeys, class members discussed topics such as safety, costs, time, convenience and access of these different modalities. LSA continued to deepen their perspectives of the impacts of transportation on people’s lives by hearing from a representative from the military and a senior citizen in our community about their unique experiences and their hopes for our city moving forward.

Following the scavenger hunt, class members traveled to Toyota where they learned more about future initiatives in our city. Class members had personalized agendas based on their interests and learned from a variety of experts in various fields. Engaging in four rounds of learning with a chance to explore the Toyota Exhibit Museum at the Visitor’s Center, class members shared intimate dialogue with city leaders:

As they closed out the day, class members traveled to The Garage at the Pearl for a Happy Hour Tailgate. Post day celebrations included a Pedal Party by Cyclo Fiesta, music by DJ Dru, delicious food by La Gloria, and beer and wine from Hops and Vines Distributors. Viva Fiesta – in true San Antonio spirit, they capped off their day by passing out their very own LSA medals and raffling off an assortment of celebratory prizes.

The Transportation and Mobility Team, along with all of Leadership San Antonio Class 44, would like to thank all the speakers, sponsors, and in-kind support that helped make this event successful!