VIA Metropolitan Transit trustees approved on Tuesday a six-month pilot for a shuttle service that would circulate people for free among downtown hot spots, but agency officials still need to finalize funding agreements before the program can commence.

The service would run from 6 p.m. until midnight Tuesday through Saturday and stop at hotels, restaurants and venues, including the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and Majestic Theatre. Shuttles would arrive every 10 minutes and be branded with a distinct name, logo and design.

The six-month pilot program is expected to cost $100,000, and the plan is for VIA to cover half and downtown businesses and organizations to finance the rest. VIA staff had originally proposed a three-month pilot with a fare, but downtown stakeholders requested the longer program and that it be free.

VIA officials are still negotiating with downtown groups about the funding, but they said the pilot will start soon after the deals are closed.

VIA staff framed the shuttle as both a transportation service and an economic driver that will spur activity downtown.

“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of doing this pilot,” Charlie Gonzalez, VIA’s senior vice president of public engagement, told trustees Tuesday.

All of the trustees who were present voted in favor for the pilot program, but a number of them said they thought the route was too limited. Trustees noted that the route does not connect to VIA’s Westside Multimodal Transit Center or to Market Square in west downtown, while others said they wished the route expanded farther in other directions as well.

“I understand it’s a pilot program, I understand you’ve got to be able to crawl before you walk,” said trustee Bobby Perez. But, Perez and other trustees said, they wanted to discuss expanding the route if the pilot is deemed a success.

Underlying the comments from trustees were concerns that the shorter route was being pushed by the downtown business groups and that the service could be viewed as only for those who can afford dinner at a downtown restaurant followed by a show.

At past meetings, trustees have argued that the service would also be used by people who work downtown, in particular the employees of the venues, hotels and restaurants the shuttle links.

Trustees also previously took issue with the original name of the shuttle, the “Entertainment Route.” On the agenda for the Tuesday meeting, it appeared instead as the “Downtown Route.”

VIA staff have also said that a longer route would increase the cost of the service if the frequency of the shuttles were to be kept at 10 minutes.

VIA officials have not said which downtown groups and businesses they are negotiating with to contribute funding. The transit agency also plans on partnering with them on promoting the service.

Downtown groups have said they see the purpose of the shuttle as allowing people to park once and then have the ease of hopping on and off so they can go to more than one location.

Trustees David Marne, Marc Harrison and Doug Poneck were not present for the vote.

After the trustees voted, board Chairman Alex Briseño told VIA staff to finish their negotiations so the pilot could start.

“Go get that 50 percent,” he said.

djoseph@express-news.net