Capital Metro to riders: Get high on our bus

Even with its ridership on the skids in recent years, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is stacking its passengers on top of one another. Starting this Halloween, the transit agency will run a lone double-decker bus on the No. 935 Tech Ridge Express route, which runs down Interstate 35 from far North Austin to downtown. The massive machine has a seating capacity of 89 compared to 36 on the agency’s typical buses. Like Capital Metro’s other vehicles, though, the two-story bus is compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and comes equipped with a front-end bike rack. The pilot program runs only through Nov. 11, but during that time, fares on the double-decker will be free. In exchange for the complimentary rides and the panoramic views on the top floor, riders might be polled by agency staff for their thoughts on the possibility of Capital Metro adding a contingent of the British-made buses to its full-time fleet.