Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority system ridership has fallen every day since March 10 as the effects of the coronavirus spread throughout Austin, but the transit agency is increasing its workforce in order to remain reliable and safe for those in need of public transit during the crisis. Although Capital Metro has scaled back service for […]
Transit
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Capital Metro responds to COVID-19 with changes to service schedule and operations
At the tail end of a 17-month run of climbing ridership increases, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority system ridership has plummeted due to the coronavirus pandemic. CEO Randy Clarke said the agency does not expect numbers to recover for many weeks, if not months. “There is no question … this is going to be a significant […]
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Austin Transportation pursues ‘choice’ riders with free transit pass pilot
Austin Transportation is seeking City Council’s permission to buy $700,000 worth of free transit passes as a carrot to lure more “choice” riders out of their private cars and onto buses and trains. Rob Spillar, director of Transportation, said the transit pass program is the best way to move the needle closer to the city’s […]
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Council lands on long-term payment method for Project Connect
In capital costs alone, the city and its residents can expect to contribute around $5.6 billion for the combined pieces of Project Connect. That money will cover investments for two light rail lines, several bus rapid transit “lite” routes and expanded commuter rail, but all of those investments will require funds for operations, maintenance, repair, […]
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As contract negotiations drag, Cap Metro bus drivers symbolically protest
Some Capital Metro bus drivers wore black makeup or a black sticker under their eyes Wednesday in a symbolic “Black Eye” protest of drawn-out labor negotiations between their union and a Capital Metro contractor. Capital Metro awarded a $1.4 billion contract to MV Transportation in August to handle its bus operations and maintenance services. Before […]
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Capital Metro to modernize information delivery with onboard displays
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will soon outfit 67 local service buses with 29-inch wide-screen digital displays, initiating a new era of dynamic passenger information delivery. Last week, the agency’s board of directors unanimously approved a contract with Clever Devices, a transit technology company, to purchase 110 information screens. The displays allow for multiple simultaneous […]
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Advocates host discussion on what makes good transit
November’s transportation bond hasn’t taken shape yet, but is likely to feature the largest public transit investment residents have ever been asked to consider. In light of that, transit advocates and grassroots organizations hosted a talk Wednesday with Christof Spieler, engineer and author of the book Trains, Buses, People, in order to discuss what makes […]
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City considers new funding sources for light rail transit investment
On Tuesday, in the fifth of seven planned joint work sessions, City Council and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority discussed the need for innovative funding sources to operate and maintain a regional transit system that may involve the city’s first light rail lines. In evolving discussions over the past year, the city and the transit […]
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County puts more money into Manor ride-hailing program
In response to higher-than-expected ridership, Travis County is putting more money into a six-month-old ride-hailing program in Manor. The Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to authorize up to $25,000 to help purchase a third bus for the Manor Pickup service, which is funded jointly by the county, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Capital Area Rural […]
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City Council and Capital Metro talk Project Connect capacity and ridership projections
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has put together some potential outcomes for a public transit overhaul in the coming decade based on months of technical analysis, but regional and city leaders aren’t sure what to think with so many decisions riding on predictions of, well, ridership. The transit agency released preliminary cost estimates for the […]
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Capital Metro to get close-up look at neighborhood circulators
In the face of ongoing regional sprawl, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is taking strides to connect low-density areas outside the city’s public transit network to its fixed-service routes. The transit agency began that effort in June with an app-based pilot project serving the city of Manor. That program, Pickup, is now also available in […]
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Capital Metro to begin building first electric bus yard
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is laying the groundwork for an electric bus yard to store and charge the city’s first battery electric buses as early as next fall. The agency’s board of directors unanimously approved a $7.5 million contract with M.A. Smith Contracting on Monday to build the North Operations facility, which will eventually […]