The Capital Area Rural Transportation System and Capital Metro began service out of a new bus hub that aims to connect riders who use both services.

The Richard A. Moya Eastside Bus Plaza will link four Capital Metro routes with nine CARTS routes. CARTS is a public transportation system that provides service to rural communities in Central Texas, including Bastrop, Burnet and Caldwell counties, as well as more rural areas in Travis and Williamson counties.

The bus plaza will also provide access to Capital Metro's bike-sharing service MetroBike, offer paratransit services and fall within the East Austin zone of Capital Metro’s on-demand service called Pickup.

The hub includes a new route to the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, as well as two more frequent connections to downtown Austin. It is located in East Austin at 363 Shady Lane and provides access to multiple busy corridors, including US 183, Airport Boulevard, East Fifth Street and East Cesar Chavez Street. The map below shows the plaza’s location.

According to a CARTS spokesperson, the project cost around $6 million. In addition to Capital Metro and CARTS, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the Texas Department of Transportation and the city of Austin provided funding for the project. According to a CARTS press release, the facility was previously a vacant lot owned by TxDOT.


The hub will have an air-conditioned 2,200-square-foot terminal with restrooms, a hydration station and dynamic information about bus arrivals and departures.

While the plaza is now operational, a grand opening event is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 16, when the station will become fully operational and be dedicated to former Travis County Commissioner Richard A. Moya.