Austin leaders on Tuesday gave an official thumbs-up to the city’s massive rail line project just two weeks after the plan was revealed to the public. The final vote taken by City Council, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors and Austin Transit Partnership sets in motion the next phase of the plan, which […]
Capital Metro
The city’s urban transportation system.
Posted inTransit
Downtown alliance suggests Wooldridge Sq. station, sunken roadways to improve rail plan
The Downtown Austin Alliance has suggested a number of adjustments to the light rail plan unveiled to the public earlier this week, while also showing support for the route that moves through the downtown core from its endpoints to the north, east and south. The DAA has issued its own map for the route, which […]
Posted inTransit
Austin light rail gets first approval amid looming Texas legislative threat
Austin’s newest light-rail vision – a $5 billion map set to redefine 10 miles of streets – is traveling two parallel tracks this week. On one track, city decision-makers are flashing the go-ahead signal, setting the stage for the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) to morph blueprints into steel and concrete. On the parallel track, a […]
Posted inRoads
TxDOT could put a four-lane road where Austin is building a trail
The Texas Department of Transportation is studying whether to build a four-lane highway along the same stretch of land where Austin is planning to break ground next year on a 12-foot-wide concrete trail. Both projects fall within part of an old railroad route that shut down almost half a century ago. The 28-mile MoKan Corridor […]
Posted inTransit
It’s official: Cap Metro chooses Dottie Watkins as new president and CEO
A bus driver who rose through the ranks of Capital Metro over three decades has now taken the top job at the transit agency. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to hire Dorothy “Dottie” Watkins as president and CEO. “It is a complete honor to accept this position,” Watkins said […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro set to choose Dottie Watkins as new president and CEO
A bus driver who rose through the ranks of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority over three decades is now poised to take the top job at the transit agency. Dorothy “Dottie” Watkins started driving buses in 1994 when she was 19 years old. Now 48, Watkins has served as interim president and CEO of Capital […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro police force coming to North Austin office park
Capital Metro has secured the location of its first police department headquarters – a nondescript building in a North Austin office park – and is ready to spend millions on rent and renovations to expand the transit agency’s mission into law enforcement. The move to put more armed officers on buses and trains has drawn […]
Posted inTransit
Council passes transparency changes to transit partnership board
Last week, City Council voted to recommend changes to the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors that would add two additional seats to the five-member board and establish transparency standards for their appointments. The resolution directs the city manager to consult with community stakeholders to address and consider eligibility requirements, which has been a controversial […]
Posted inElections
How to get a free or cheap ride to go vote in the Austin area
You shouldn’t need a car to cast a ballot, but in a car-centric city like Austin, sometimes transportation is the biggest obstacle to voting. Lack of access to a car depresses turnout most among young voters and non-white voters, according to researchers at Harvard. So here are some free or discounted ways to get to a […]
Posted inTransit
Broken buses slow Capital Metro schedules
Capital Metro bus commuters, already coping with reduced schedules put in place last year, are this week facing further frustrations as they try to catch a bus. The regional transit agency says a shortage of bus parts is keeping a small percentage of vehicles off the road each day. But the number of sidelined vehicles […]
Posted inTransportation
Pedestrian crossing at Fourth and Sabine to remain closed another year
In summer 2020, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority celebrated the reopening of its Downtown Station at Fourth and Trinity, billing the new infrastructure as a mobility hub that would enhance the area’s public space and “make easy connections” between MetroRail and other modes of transportation. Passengers would be able to hop off the MetroRail and access […]
Posted inTransit
Two more Texas towns are considering leaving Capital Metro
Two more Austin suburbs – Lago Vista and Manor – have decided to hold an election this November to determine whether to pull out of their partnerships with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. These elections follow Leander’s vote in May, where residents ultimately decided to stay with the transit organization. “Council, we have had several […]