The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors’ operations, planning and safety committee at its Wednesday meeting heard an update on the system’s Public Safety Program. The program, approved by the board in 2021, is based on a three-prong approach that includes public safety ambassadors, intervention specialists and transit police. Darryl Jamail, senior director of […]
Transit
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Cap Metro conducts partial audit of methods for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working toward a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Last fall, Capital Metro partnered with University of Texas graduate students on an audit of its current methods for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions. The project team included UT interns Vanessa Li and Avery Smitheal as […]
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Austin confronts legal challenge to 10-mile light-rail plan
City Council and the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) are firing back against a lawsuit aiming to terminate the vision for a 10-mile light-rail network – the single most ambitious public transit project in the city’s history. In legal filings in Travis County civil court, Council and ATP don’t cede any ground. They deny all claims in the lawsuit […]
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Cap Metro finalizes free fare program for riders experiencing homelessness
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously on Monday to approve a free two-year smart transit pass for eligible unhoused or housing-insecure customers. “This is a win-win overall,” Board Member Eric Stratton said during a related public hearing, commending Capital Metro staff for their work on the transit pass program. “So thank […]
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Austin’s shift to electric buses is plagued by vehicle glitches and supplier bankruptcy
Capital Metro’s drive to electrify its entire fleet of buses is coming with some hard lessons about the high costs of early adoption. The transit agency’s battery-powered buses have been less reliable and harder to fix. Now, a company selling million-dollar electric vehicles to Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, throwing […]
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Cap Metro settles with city on East Austin real estate deal that paves the way for wastewater project
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is selling the city of Austin a piece of land in East Austin to pave the way for the Walnut Interceptor Odor and Corrosion Improvements capital project. At its meeting on Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved the sale of a small plot of land at […]
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Cap Metro study to identify constraints and opportunities in completing remaining segments of Red Line Trail
At its State of the Parkway event on Monday, the nonprofit Red Line Parkway Initiative met with regional leaders and grassroots organizers to discuss continued work on the 32-mile trail along the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Red Line. The Red Line Parkway Initiative is involved in planning, fundraising and community engagement surrounding the trail and […]
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Application period still open for Project Connect anti-displacement Community Advisory Committee
There is still time to apply to join the citizen committee that will advise the city of Austin, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Austin Transit Partnership on anti-displacement and equity matters related to Project Connect. The city’s $7 billion investment in Project Connect included $300 million for anti-displacement measures that will go toward […]
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MetroBike wins $11.3 million federal grant to fund transition to electric bicycles
Austin’s MetroBike program is the winner of a $11.3 million federal grant that will pay to expand and enhance its services, as well as allow it to transition to a fully electric bicycle fleet. The grant is funded by the Texas Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternative Set-Aside grant program, which is funded through the Federal […]
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Cap Metro board hears results of first post-pandemic Origin & Destination survey
Besides interrupting Capital Metro’s transportation services, the pandemic also interfered with its process of measuring its ridership, typically done every five years. On Monday, for the first time since 2015, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors heard a presentation on the Origin & Destination Survey. “We came back around in 2020 in hopes […]
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Report suggests Austin reach net-zero climate goals via housing density and increased transit
The Environmental Commission heard a presentation last week on a research paper that discusses how Austin can reach its net-zero carbon emission goals via increased housing density. The report is the result of nonprofit Transit Forward, which is dedicated to educating and engaging the public regarding transit projects, particularly Project Connect. One of the nonprofit’s […]
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Capital Metro Board of Directors approves Fiscal Year 2024 budget
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to approve the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operating and Capital Budget, as well as its Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. The approved budget is $871,033,690 in operating and capital expenses. It includes $427.5 million in operating expenses, $12 million for commitments under interlocal agreements for mobility […]