Tag Archives: Capital Metro
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Budget
Capital Metro prepares a budget for recession, another for quick recovery
With the economy in recession and regional unemployment high, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is preparing to keep spending flat next fiscal year, equal to this fiscal year’s $403.7 million budget, in the event that revenue sources don’t see a…
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro audit finds fault in on-time performance system
A recent review by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Internal Audit Department has discovered a number of inconsistencies in the agency’s process for reporting service delays and recording on-time performance.The review found that dispatchers at MV Transportation almost always send…
Thursday, June 11, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
City, Capital Metro adopt Project Connect with justice, sustainability in mind
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors and City Council adopted the final vision for an all-electric comprehensive transit system on Wednesday. Board members and city leaders said the $9.8 billion plan, featuring three light rail lines, a new…
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro proposes incorporating Austin B-cycle as extension of public transit network
By late fall, public transit and bike-share users may be able to access both services with the purchase of a local bus day pass.Under a proposed partnership with the city, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking to expand upon…
Thursday, May 7, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro adds new light rail line to Project Connect recommendation
An update to regional population estimates has prompted the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority to make a major change to its proposal for Project Connect.In a memo posted Wednesday, CEO Randy Clarke and Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca said the more…
Friday, April 24, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transportation
‘Pork chop’ included in updated list of quarter-cent fund projects
District 4’s “pork chop,” a controversial traffic island at the intersection of Morrow Street and North Lamar Boulevard, is finally slated for removal after City Council adopted an updated list of projects approved for Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s quarter-cent fund…
Friday, April 3, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Federal relief package includes $104 million for public transit in Austin
The Federal Transit Administration has announced $25 billion in recovery funds for public transportation systems across the nation, including $104 million to help keep the city of Austin’s transit system afloat.“We know that many of our nation’s public transportation systems…
Monday, March 30, 2020 by Elizabeth Pagano
Transit
Cap Metro to eliminate fares
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has announced that it will implement free fares throughout the month of April to prioritize public health amid the coronavirus pandemic.Eliminating fares allows passengers to board through the rear bus door without stopping to pay fares…
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
COVID-19 produces immediate need for workers at Cap Metro
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority system ridership has fallen every day since March 10 as the effects of the coronavirus spread throughout Austin, but the transit agency is increasing its workforce in order to remain reliable and safe for those in…
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro responds to COVID-19 with changes to service schedule and operations
At the tail end of a 17-month run of climbing ridership increases, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority system ridership has plummeted due to the coronavirus pandemic. CEO Randy Clarke said the agency does not expect numbers to recover for many weeks,…
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Council lands on long-term payment method for Project Connect
In capital costs alone, the city and its residents can expect to contribute around $5.6 billion for the combined pieces of Project Connect.That money will cover investments for two light rail lines, several bus rapid transit “lite” routes and expanded…
Thursday, February 20, 2020 by Jerry Quijano
Transit
As contract negotiations drag, Cap Metro bus drivers symbolically protest
Some Capital Metro bus drivers wore black makeup or a black sticker under their eyes Wednesday in a symbolic “Black Eye” protest of drawn-out labor negotiations between their union and a Capital Metro contractor.Capital Metro awarded a $1.4 billion contract…
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro to modernize information delivery with onboard displays
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will soon outfit 67 local service buses with 29-inch wide-screen digital displays, initiating a new era of dynamic passenger information delivery.Last week, the agency’s board of directors unanimously approved a contract with Clever Devices, a…
Monday, January 27, 2020 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Red tread redemption?
Red dawn(s again)… Austin Transportation and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority are partnering up this month to add more red lanes – or “fresh Elmo,” as they’re called by transit advocates – to the city’s central transit spine. Beginning last…
Thursday, January 9, 2020 by Ryan Thornton
Bonds & Propositions
Activist-led transportation bond vision adjusted and finalized
The team behind the Wheel Deal, a community-led concept for a 2020 transportation-focused bond, released its final plan Wednesday after making several adjustments to its initial plan based on public input.While the group sharply cut proposed funding in a number…
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Transportation
City, Capital Metro, to consider new vision for Red Line trail
In the past week, the city of Austin and Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority have each passed resolutions to renew interest in creating a 32-mile transit- and trail-oriented corridor with hike and bike trails, parks, and easy access to transit stations…
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro to get close-up look at neighborhood circulators
In the face of ongoing regional sprawl, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is taking strides to connect low-density areas outside the city’s public transit network to its fixed-service routes.The transit agency began that effort in June with an app-based pilot…
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Transit
Capital Metro to begin building first electric bus yard
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is laying the groundwork for an electric bus yard to store and charge the city’s first battery electric buses as early as next fall.The agency’s board of directors unanimously approved a $7.5 million contract with…
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 by Samuel King
Transit
It’s not just light rail. Capital Metro wants to expand rapid bus service, too.
Austin’s regional transit agency, Capital Metro, is taking feedback from the public on a plan to add up to five new rapid bus lines.It comes as ridership on the existing rapid bus lines, known as MetroRapid, has been rising. In…
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Budget
Capital Metro board approves 2020 budget
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority may still be playing catch-up with some basic comforts like benches, shelters and waste bins at bus stops, but the agency promises to accelerate those smaller efforts while preparing for a high-capacity transit future in…
