On Saturday, New Year’s Eve, Capital Metro is offering free MetroBus, MetroRapid, MetroRail and MetroAccess rides after 6 p.m. to help Austin-area residents and visitors ring in the New Year safely.

Riders celebrating New Year's Eve can visit capmetro.org/specialevents for information about the night's schedules and services, and customers will have 24-hour access to the automated phone line and Capital Metro’s online Trip Planner to prepare for routes ahead of time.

Here are a few things to know about free rides and services:

  • Austinites and visitors can get a free ride on MetroRail buses after 6 p.m. There are nine Austin-area stations for MetroRail, which offers service between Leander and downtown Austin and from Lakeline to downtown. Capital Metro said today it will also extend MetroRail service on Saturday, with the last downtown train leaving at 2:30 a.m.

  • MetroRapid will offer its final departures at 2:30 a.m. from downtown along Guadalupe and Lavaca streets. There are two MetroRapid routes—one connecting the Tech Ridge area to the Southpark Meadows shopping center in Southwest Austin via the University of Texas campus and downtown, and one that connects The Domain to the Westgate area in Southwest Austin via UT and downtown.

  • Five Night Owl routes will run to and from Sixth and Congress every 15 minutes from midnight until 3 a.m. on New Year's Eve.

  • Local MetroBus service will operate a Saturday schedule on New Year’s Eve, but E-Buses and UT Shuttles will not be in service.

  • On Sunday, New Year’s Day, Capital Metro's MetroBus and MetroRapid service on their regular Sunday schedules. MetroRail, UT Shuttles, Night Owls and E-Buses will not be in service.


All services will resume their regular weekday schedules Monday with the exception of UT Shuttle and E-Bus service.