The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled on Tuesday a proposed major overhaul of its entire transit system, and the watchword is “frequency.” The Connections 2025 service plan will be the guiding document for operations at the agency for the next 10 years and beyond. The draft proposal outlined on Tuesday indicated several drastic changes, including […]
Transit
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PAC’s poll shows big support for light rail
A grassroots effort to put a light rail referendum on the November ballot is adding one more curve to the course as City Council members sprint to decide whether to send Mayor Steve Adler’s $720 million mobility bond proposal to voters. The Our Rail political action committee took it upon itself to personally conduct a […]
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Corridor plans pushing forward with bus pullouts
A prominent selling point in Mayor Steve Adler’s pitch for a $720 million mobility bond has drawn a lukewarm reception by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. On multiple occasions, Adler has hyped bus pullouts as a key feature of his so-called Go Big Corridor Plan, a package that would spend hundreds of millions on regional […]
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Cap Metro ponders fare-ly big changes to MetroRapid service
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced plans on Monday to add eight new stops to its two premium MetroRapid routes, but even bigger changes for the two-year-old service could be right around the corner. Todd Hemingson, Capital Metro’s vice president of strategic planning and development, told the Austin Monitor on Tuesday that the agency could […]
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Message to Cap Metro: Don’t worry about TNCs
A prominent mass transportation expert told the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors on Monday that ride-hailing services have little impact on public transit ridership. The data presented by Jarrett Walker, author of the book Human Transit, contradict one of Capital Metro’s official explanations for a sinking number of passengers. “Ride-sourcing has a small […]
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MetroRail stations dealing out of the card game
Riders will not be able to use a physical credit card to buy train tickets at MetroRail stations come October. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that starting on Oct. 9, ticket vending machines at the agency’s nine stations will only accept cash and the agency’s stored value transit passes. “Capital Metro is implementing […]
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San Marcos support for LSTAR could be too little, too late
As the Lone Star Rail District approaches what could be the end of the line, one important city along its still-theoretical route is hoping to keep it on track. San Marcos City Council voted on Tuesday night to approve a resolution offering its support for the flagging passenger-rail effort. The item scored unanimous support on […]
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Capital Metro previews Connections 2025 survey
After months of consultant-driven introspection, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is on the verge of revealing new insights that could result in big changes along the agency’s service network. It’s all part of the Connections 2025 process, the yearlong study that will lead up to the recommendation of a new five-year service plan, likely to be […]
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Commission adds weight to light rail efforts
The Urban Transportation Commission has once again given a boost to advocates for light rail in Austin. At its meeting last week, the commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council consider putting bonds for “rail options” on the November ballot. Recognizing that there is a “vocal and organized group of people” advocating for light […]
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Mobility Committee votes to explore transit priority
The City Council Mobility Committee on Wednesday put its imprimatur on an effort to enhance transit service on city roadways. With a vote of 3-0, Council members Ann Kitchen, Delia Garza and Sheri Gallo endorsed a proposed resolution that calls on city staff to develop recommendations for a transit priority policy. Council Member Don Zimmerman […]
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Hays County uncouples from Lone Star Rail
After dodging a potential death blow on Monday night, the Lone Star Rail District took another hit on the chin on Tuesday. One day after the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization opted not to freeze its funding of LSTAR, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted to ditch the passenger rail planning effort. The measure on […]
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Potential train wreck ahead for Lone Star Rail
It could be the end of the line for the Lone Star Rail District. On Monday, the moribund commuter rail project could see its funding from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization frozen by that agency’s Transportation Policy Board. According to the board’s agenda, CAMPO staff is recommending that the agency essentially call a timeout […]