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Capital Metro: The city’s urban transportation system.
Cap Metro board holds public hearing on proposed FY 2024 budget
Thursday, September 14, 2023 by Nina Hernandez
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors on Wednesday held a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operating and Capital Budget.
Kevin Conlan, deputy chief financial officer, presented an overview of the $871 million budget proposal to the board members. Capital Metro staff has completed its public engagement portion of the budget process, which included in-person and virtual feedback sessions.
“We have a very exciting year coming up and this is reflected in our budget,” Conlan said. “The budget is structurally sound and balanced and is funded through various funding sources,” including sales tax, fund balance and capital contributions.
The presentation outlines the authority’s capital and statutory commitments and obligations, which includes $160.8 million for its five-year capital improvement plan, $71.2 million in statutory operating reserve and $35 million in budget stabilization reserve. Conlan said Capital Metro is slated to meet all of its reserve requirements in the next year’s budget.
“We’re in good financial position and are optimistic for the next year, but remain guarded with the current financial climate, high petroleum pricing, lingering labor and supply chain issues, along with the necessary funding for fleet electrification, facility needs and other projects on the horizon,” Conlan said.
The five-year capital improvement plan includes the funds for 153 electric bus purchases, as well as $270 million in charging infrastructure.
Next year’s budget also includes a $15.6 million allotment for Pickup, Capital Metro’s neighborhood on-demand transit service. Users within specific service zones can download the Pickup app, which allows them to arrange on-demand rides to nearby locations.
Conlan noted the agency’s Facility Master Plan, which is investing $402.7 million over the next five years in a “much needed” third bus garage, as well as north and south paratransit facilities. The capital plan also includes $23.6 million in bus stop enhancements over the next five years at stops throughout the system.
In terms of Project Connect, the agency will continue work on MetroRapid Expo Center and Pleasant Valley lines and the McKalla Station at Q2 Stadium. This year’s budget also includes a $20.6 million contribution to the Austin Transit Partnership for the Project Connect program sequence plan.
“It’s extremely important that we plan for the future and continued growth within the region,” Conlan said. “Project Connect is the comprehensive transit plan that will expand our transit capacity. Cap Metro has an ongoing commitment to this plan.”
The lone speaker during public testimony was Zenobia Joseph.
“I would just like to remind you that the Pickup service is inequitable,” she said. “You may be on the phone five minutes, but you may have to wait 60 minutes. And then the driver has no control over whether the dispatch has someone while you are en route to your destination. So it is not door to door, reliable, where you can just get to the next bus stop or to your destination. It requires a great deal of time.”
Photo by WhisperToMe, made available through a Creative Commons license via Wikimedia Commons.
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