What’s new
Claimed to be “the most significant service changes CapMetro has completed in several years,” by the agency, the two routes—Rapid 800 Pleasant Valley and Rapid 837 Expo Center—are a part of CapMetro’s Project Connect contributions to expand and improve the city’s transit network.
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.
The Rapid 800 will provide service from the Mueller area down to Goodnight Ranch in southeast Austin, helping commuters reach destinations like ACC Eastview, East Riverside and Dove Springs.
The Rapid 837 will provide service from northeast Austin to downtown, connecting riders to the Colony Park neighborhood, Mueller area, The University of Texas and Republic Square transit hub.
Director of Planning Roberto Gonzalez told board members during a presentation of these changes that though diesel buses will be used initially, these routes will soon incorporate electric buses.
Plans for the new routes also indicate 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.
- Expo center: 140 parking spaces
- Goodnight Ranch: 65 parking spaces
The Decker Pickup zone will join 11 other similar designations throughout the city. Funded in part by Travis County, the Pickup services will enable commuters to reach other metro connections, like Route 20 which travels to Manor.
What to expect
Initially poised to offer bus services every 10 minutes, the anticipated MetroRapid lines will begin offering services every 20 minutes, Gonzalez told board members. The agency is still working through the logistics of operating an electric bus fleet.
“The vision is to operate the service with our zero emission electric buses,” Gonzalez said. “... We don't have the pieces in place to be able to [offer 10 minute service] at this point, but we wanted to be able to deliver something to the community sooner, rather than wait.”
CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins explained that the "linchpin" for the organization to increase service frequency depends on the inclusion of charging infrastructure at the planned park-and-ride locations.
“A battery electric bus can't stay out all day. It can only stay out about half the day,” Watkins said. “So instead, we'll sprinkle those throughout the rest of the system, on the pieces of routes that only need to be out for eight-ish hours in the day so that we can fully utilize our fleet. ...[the charging infrastructure] is the thing that is holding us up the most. As Roberto mentioned, we are underway at the Expo Center, and we are working diligently to finalize the land acquisition at Good Night Ranch.”
