City of Austin and CapMetro officials marked the completion of multimodal transit upgrades at 51st Street and Manor Road on Sept. 12, improvements aimed at enhancing safety and access for all travelers.

Marking a milestone

“When we're starting to work on projects like this with our partners, CapMetro, we start to think about what the impact these projects are going to have on people's lives,” said Jim Dale, the city’s Transportation and Public Works deputy director. “... We're thinking about the mom that's coming to take a bus to go into work at The University of Texas [at Austin], or grandpa who's walking on these new sidewalks to hop on the bus to go to a doctor's appointment.”

The project included two new MetroRapid bus stations under CapMetro’s Project Connect initiative, serving the new Route 837 launched earlier this year. In addition, improvements included a protected intersection for cyclists and upgrades to sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.

CapMetro’s Deputy CEO Kerri Butcher said the 51st Street, Manor Road Metro Rapid bus stations were strategically chosen, to broaden the transit system in a “growing corridor."

“Today, we celebrate more than concrete, steel. We celebrate the connection, the opportunity and our shared commitment to building more accessible, sustainable paths for Central Texas,” Butcher said.

Route 837 follows a similar service path to the old Route 37; however, the new route goes more directly downtown, according to CapMetro documents.



A closer look

Route 837 Expo Center

• Length: 12 miles and over 40 stations
• Frequency: every 20-30 minutes
• Route highlights: The line will run from Republic Square in downtown Austin to the Colony Park neighborhood, ending at the Expo Center. During initial service, the Expo Center Line’s temporary last stop will be at Decker Lane until construction on the Expo Center Park and Ride is complete.
• Key destinations: Austin Convention Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Dell Seton Medical Center, Mueller Development, LBJ High School, Travis County Exposition Center

A mix of $65.6 million in federal and $35.6 million in Project Connect funding, the new services and infrastructure is expected to be fully completed by 2026, which will see bus frequencies ramp up to every 10-15 minutes.

Director of Planning Roberto Gonzalez told board members during an update in fall 2024 that though diesel buses will be used initially, these routes will soon incorporate electric buses.

Plans for the new routes also include the construction of two new park and ride stations in northeast and southeast Austin, which include the charging infrastructure needed to operate an electric bus fleet.

The Travis County Exposition Center park and ride offers 140 parking spaces, while the proposed facility at Goodnight Ranch would add another 65 spaces.