CapMetro to redo ACL agreeement

At Tuesday’s Planning, Safety and Operations Committee meeting, members reviewed an upcoming agreement to provide charterlike bus services to Auditorium Shores during the 2015 Austin City Limits Music Festival. The $400,000 agreement uses CapMetro buses and services with assistance from Transco Livery Services Inc. According to the agreement, CapMetro will charge ACL event producers its full operating cost, which is $110 per vehicle hour. Dottie Watkins, vice president of bus and paratransit services for CapMetro, said the agency will no longer be in charge of volunteers. In the past, it has trained and offered volunteer support to the event shuttles. In sad news for some volunteers, CapMetro also will not provide free event tickets to compensate volunteers for their services. Watkins said the transportation entity usually is not allowed to offer charter services because of Federal Trade Administration laws regulating public/private competition. It has for years, however, because of lack of interest from the private sector. The contract is set for final approval at the board’s July 27 regular meeting.