Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

CapMetro plans to improve service

According to the new Community Impact newspaper, CapMetro plans to:

* Add bus-rapid-transit to a new pair of I-35 lanes that the state will add.

* Increase MetroRail service to every 15 minutes.  (Is there ridership to support that, except during rush hour?  I often see empty trains go by.)

* Increase frequency to every 15 minutes on an additional eight routes, including MLK.

* Increase frequency on some other routes to every 30 minutes.

* Add a new Express route to downtown on the new MoPac express toll lanes in 2017.

* Consolidate duplicate routes (e.g., Route 820 would replace #20 and #100, and would go between the airport and downtown.  Not sure it will come to my neighborhood in East Austin like the old #20 did.)

* Possibly simplify fares.  Right now it's $1.25 regular, $1.75 for rail or express.

* Create hubs to taxis/TNCs, Car2Go, and BCycle at some stops.

Schludermann

Member

From: Northloop

Registered: 2016-06-04

Posts: 7

Re: CapMetro plans to improve service

On the whole this looks good, good suggestions and some new ideas.  However,  these tweaks will not solve the main problem it's self, Capmetro.  I've been a longtime rider, 16 years, and the reason using Capmetro sucks is they won't change the organization culture. There are numerous problems, deficiencies and voids in Capmetro's operations.  Probably the worst is their blithe indifference for the communities they are suppose to serve. I watched this 10 years as Capmetro steamrolled consultant recommendations in the disabled community. Remember the "fare adjustment", I attended these meetings and it was very apparent Capmetro had already decided what was going to happen and was going through the steps of outreach. In the most recent proposals is making proposals with the barest out reach.

I sent feedback to Capmetro from the webinar they had. I even proposed solutions for these long running biases.  However they are conspicuously silent.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: CapMetro plans to improve service

CapMetro's board is balking at the proposed changes.  The citizens group AURA is running a petition asking the board to approve the plans:

http://www.aura-atx.org/connections_2025

I signed.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: CapMetro plans to improve service

Over two years later, the plan still has not been implemented, but last week the CapMetro board finally voted to approve the overhaul, scheduled to go into effect in June, at which point it will be nearly three years since first proposed.

Some of the changes might be different now than when I first reported, but the most significant one remains the same:  increasing the frequency from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes on eight additional routes, bringing the number of every-15 routes from 6 to 14.

The Chronicle notes that bus ridership has been declining.  CapMetro hopes that the more frequent service will reverse that trend.