By the end of the month, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will have received all 12 battery-electric buses that make up its initial investment in what will become a zero-emission public transportation fleet. With two of those already in service and eight others now being tested at the North Ops bus yard, Chief Operating Officer […]
Transit
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Council, Capital Metro settle on Project Connect investment with anti-displacement measures
City Council and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors have landed on an 8.75-cent tax rate election as the best tool to fund the bulk of the Project Connect mass transit system as well as a variety of efforts to prevent transit-related displacement. “We can’t do everything that we want to do, but […]
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Capital Metro offers alternative investment timeline for Project Connect vision
Since June 10, when City Council endorsed the $10 billion Project Connect system, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been considering which of the transit components is most essential for an initial investment to place before voters in November. “Every city, every state starts out with a portion; it’s not built all at once,” said […]
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Capital Metro board OKs MetroBike partnership for bus-oriented bike system
The city’s B-cycle program is set for expansion and rebranding this fall with the rollout of MetroBike, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s concept for an integrated bike-share and public transit system. The Capital Metro Board of Directors approved the MetroBike co-management partnership with the city of Austin and Bike Share of Austin in a 7-1 […]
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Capital Metro to link transit trips with personal payment accounts
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority ticket-based fare system is due for an upgrade. Currently it lacks the flexibility to offer benefits like fare capping while encouraging more points of contact between customers and bus operators than contactless account-based ticketing can provide. Even before Covid-19 highlighted the public health risks of ticket payments, Capital Metro planned […]
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Capital Metro to bring fleet electrification experts on board
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has purchased 12 electric buses this fiscal year, half of which have been delivered to the electric bus yard under construction at the North Operations facility. With the other six scheduled to arrive in the next four weeks, the agency is now ready to bring in technical assistance to help […]
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Capital Metro audit finds fault in on-time performance system
A recent review by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Internal Audit Department has discovered a number of inconsistencies in the agency’s process for reporting service delays and recording on-time performance. The review found that dispatchers at MV Transportation almost always send prompt service delay notices when a bus or train is running behind schedule, but […]
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City, Capital Metro adopt Project Connect with justice, sustainability in mind
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors and City Council adopted the final vision for an all-electric comprehensive transit system on Wednesday. Board members and city leaders said the $9.8 billion plan, featuring three light rail lines, a new commuter rail line through Northeast Austin and seven much-improved bus routes, would be transformative for […]
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Capital Metro proposes incorporating Austin B-cycle as extension of public transit network
By late fall, public transit and bike-share users may be able to access both services with the purchase of a local bus day pass. Under a proposed partnership with the city, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking to expand upon the symbiosis between its transit system and the city’s B-cycle bike-share program by fully […]
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Capital Metro adds new light rail line to Project Connect recommendation
An update to regional population estimates has prompted the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to make a major change to its proposal for Project Connect. In a memo posted Wednesday, CEO Randy Clarke and Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca said the more recent demographics indicate that the Gold Line, previously envisioned as a bus rapid transit […]
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Federal relief package includes $104 million for public transit in Austin
The Federal Transit Administration has announced $25 billion in recovery funds for public transportation systems across the nation, including $104 million to help keep the city of Austin’s transit system afloat. “We know that many of our nation’s public transportation systems are facing extraordinary challenges and these funds will go a long way to assisting […]
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Cap Metro to eliminate fares
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that it will implement free fares throughout the month of April to prioritize public health amid the coronavirus pandemic. Eliminating fares allows passengers to board through the rear bus door without stopping to pay fares or scan tickets, which reduces crowding and queuing near the driver. Those using wheelchairs […]