Capital Metro is launching the first route of its bus-rapid transit service, MetroRapid, on Jan. 26 as well as rolling out several fare changes.

The first MetroRapid route, 801, will run from the Tech Ridge Park & Ride on North Lamar Boulevard and South Congress Avenue to the Southpark Meadows Shopping Center.

"Our incredible team has accomplished so much during the past four years to introduce this convenient, premium service to Austin," President and CEO Linda Watson said in a news release. "There's a lot of great buzz about MetroRapid, and we're excited to bring this new transit experience to our rapidly growing community."

Features of the new service include:

buses stopping every 10–12 minutes during peak travel hours and 12–20 minutes during non-peaks times

44 stations with real-time digital displays that will show the arrival time of the next buses

free wi-fi on board

60-foot long buses with three doors for quicker entry/exit and room for three bikes on the front rack

use of transit-priority lanes on Guadalupe and Lavaca streets between Cesar Chavez Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

on-board technology that communicates with the city of Austin's traffic signals to hold a light green for seven additional seconds if the bus is behind schedule

In late summer, Capital Metro will start the second MetroRapid route, 803, that will start at The Domain and use Burnet Road and South Lamar Boulevard to travel to the Westgate Shopping Center.

MetroRapid will run weekdays from 5 a.m.–1 a.m., Saturdays 6 a.m.–midnight and Sundays 7 a.m.–11 p.m. For more information and station locations, visit www.capmetro.org/metrorapid.

Fare changes

Also starting Jan. 26 are Capital Metro's fare changes, which include a few increases. The board of directors approved the changes in September to occur in the next two years. Local bus route fares will not see any increases until 2015. Fares will remain at $1 for a single trip and $2 for a day pass.

As part of the changes, Capital Metro introduces a premium fare level for its MetroRapid service and flyer routes, which have limited stop service. The single-trip fare increase by $0.50 to $1.50.

The transit authority also will eliminate fare zones on MetroRail to simplify the process. MetroRail riders will now purchase commuter fares, which start at $2.75 for a single trip. Increases in commuter passes affect the seven-day and 31-day passes, which are now $22 and $77, respectively.

Any previously purchased local and regional passes and stored value cards will continue to work until they expire.

Visit www.capmetro.org/farechange for a full list of changes or call 512-474-1200.