Capital Metro suspended its fees April 1 in an attempt to keep both riders and drivers safe from the spread of the coronavirus. Instead of showing a pass, paying a driver or using the farebox, riders have been boarding for free through the back doors of buses.

The suspension of fares will continue for at least another month, according to a Capital Metro press release, through May 31.

The public transit agency said its services should continue to be used only for essential trips. Since school closures began and stay-at-home orders were put in place in March, ridership statistics have dropped about 60%, settling at daily totals somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 through April. With ridership numbers down and sales tax revenue likely taking a significant hit, Capital Metro is preparing for a loss of more than $136 million over the next two fiscal years.

Capital Metro CEO and President Randy Clarke said drivers and operators are putting themselves at risk every day in order to provide health care workers, construction workers and others deemed essential employees a way to travel across the city.

“I think this has woken people up to how essential Cap Metro is,” Clarke told Community Impact Newspaper in an April 21 interview.


As of April 24, 10 Capital Metro employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. Four have recovered and returned to work, and one, a bus mechanic, has died.