The Leander City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on whether to hold an election on severing ties with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority – a move that could end commuter rail service to the suburban community and allow Leander to keep millions of dollars each year in sales tax revenue. The looming decision has prompted […]
Capital Metro
The city’s urban transportation system.
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro should have stopped bus service sooner during winter storm, unreleased after-action report says
During last February’s deadly winter storm, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers sheltered shivering Austinites and drove dialysis patients along treacherous roads to lifesaving treatments. But the agency had unrealistic expectations of how long it could operate in the worsening conditions, frustrating passengers and leaving buses abandoned on frozen streets. Those are some of the details […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro to create 1,000 jobs over coming decade
On Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors discussed its workforce retention plan, building on the discussion of labor shortages across the country, as well as the announcement last week that Capital Metro bus driver starting wages will increase to $22 per hour starting Jan. 1. The wage increases, in part made possible […]
Posted inTransit
Two down, one to go: Cap Metro passes joint powers agreement
At the Nov. 10 meeting of the Capital Metro Board of Directors, members emerged from a closed-door executive session to pass the joint powers agreement. The purpose of the joint agreement between the city, Capital Metro and the Austin-Transit Partnership is to delineate the roles and responsibilities of each of the three governing bodies to […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro drivers and mechanics to vote this week on pay boost
The $1 trillion infrastructure bill being signed into law by President Biden has thrown a lifeline to Austin-area transit operator Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has struggled for months to recruit enough bus operators to maintain service. This week, the 1,220 workers who operate Capital Metro’s bus service and maintain its fleet of vehicles will […]
Posted inTransit
Government leaders delay key vote on roles around multibillion-dollar Project Connect transit expansion
Three layers of government scheduled to approve a crucial document for the city’s $7.1 billion expansion of public transit have delayed the vote to another day, because the meeting went too long. Austin City Council along with the governing boards of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Austin Transit Partnership – a local government corporation created […]
Posted inTransit
Leaders to cement Austin’s multibillion-dollar transit rollout amid concerns from local advocates
Almost one year after Austin voters authorized the $7.1 billion expansion of public transit known as Project Connect, three layers of local government are scheduled today to finalize details of how the massive buildout of transportation infrastructure should be developed. The formalization of roles and responsibilities, described in bureaucratic terms as a joint powers agreement, or JPA, […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro board endorses $50M contract for MetroRapid projects
On Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a five-year, $50 million group of construction contracts for transit facilities. Part of Project Connect, the primary goal of these particular contracts is to facilitate MetroRapid construction projects. The funding comes from the Capital Metro Five-Year Capital Improvement […]
Posted inTransit
How Capital Metro is able to offer free rides
Last month, Capital Metro announced that for the month of October, it would waive all bus and train fares as a way to encourage people to use public transit and to ease recent service interruptions. The decision to waive fees isn’t exactly new for Capital Metro. The agency will provide free rides for things like […]
Posted inTransit
Council seeks clarity ahead of end-of-month transportation vote
During a joint meeting of Austin City Council and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors, members questioned Capital Metro staff on several issues, ranging from additional public input opportunities to language in a proposed ordinance that could potentially waive regulations for transit developments. Council Member Ann Kitchen called for additional meetings for community […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro’s driver shortage continues
At Monday’s meeting of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors, members discussed the transit agency’s critical scarcity of bus drivers. “As this board has been previously briefed, we are experiencing a significant shortage of bus operators,” said Dottie Watkins, who is in charge of customer experience at Capital Metro. “Our staffing shortage is […]
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro board votes to establish transit police force
The board governing the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted overwhelmingly Monday to move forward with establishing a transit police department. The process is expected to take more than 18 months and will include outreach to skeptical members of the public. The proposal faces opposition from community groups concerned about excessive policing. The local chapter of […]