VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, TX, has received the Great Texas Trail Head Award from the Texas Trails Network for the public transit agency’s Ingram Transit Center Trailhead project.

The award recognizes public and private entities that have completed a project incorporating innovative trail planning and design. VIA received the honor for its collaborative effort with the city of San Antonio to develop a trailhead at the Ingram Transit Center to connect with the Leon Creek Greenway.

VIA acquired the land next to the busy transit center to accommodate more parking for people who ride the bus, then worked with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to make this tract of land accessible to trail riders using the Leon Creek Greenway. Now the Ingram Transit Center Trailhead provides both public transit users and trail riders with seamless access to such passenger amenities as restrooms, vending machines, and customer service representatives. Amenities at the trailhead itself include lighting, interpretive signage and maps, picnic tables, bicycle parking, and a shade structure.