The second phase of fare increases for Capital Metro’s public transit services rolls out Jan. 11.
Dan Dawson, Capital Metro’s vice president of marketing and communications, said increasing fares will allow the agency to offer new and expanded services, such as the release of its mobile app in 2014 and launching real-time information on all of its buses in 2015.
“These are the kinds of things these increased fares will help fund,” Dawson said. “There is just an overall demand from the community that they want more options to get out of traffic. We’re trying to respond to that.”
Single-ride tickets increase to $1.25 from $1 for local bus service. This year fares also will rise for Capital MetroAccess, the agency’s transit service for people with disabilities. Premium service, which includes Capital MetroRapid bus service, single-ride tickets will be $1.75. The cost for one ride on Capital MetroRail will be $3.50.
Despite the increases Capital Metro still offers a 50 percent fare discount for seniors age 65 or older, students age 6–18 years and Medicaid card holders. The Basic Transportation Needs Fund also provides nonprofit organizations with passes to distribute to residents in need.
“We have a big safety net for a lot of people to ensure the public transit system is open to everybody,” Dawson said.
The agency’s board of directors
approved the fare changes September 2013 and enacted the first round of increases—
also accounting for the new MetroRapid service—in January 2014. Dawson said the goal of splitting the changes into two phases was for an easier transition for riders.
The fare changes address concerns about Capital Metro's fare structure raised by the Texas Sunset Commission—an agency that identifies inefficiencies in government. A separate independent analysis also showed a need to increase Capital Metro’s fares to keep up with the cost of inflation and maintain a consistent revenue stream, Dawson said.
For a complete list of changes visit
www.captmetro.org/farechange2015.
Service changes
Capital Metro implements changes to its bus and rail services three times per year. Service changes will also go into effect Jan. 11 to accommodate the city of Austin’s Great Streets reconstruction project on Colorado Street between Seventh and 10th streets.
The change affects routes 2, 6, 19 and 37, which will be rerouted for better access to stops in the southern part of downtown and for improved connection to other bus routes on Guadalupe and Lavaca Streets. Route 30 will be realigned as well to service Guadalupe and Lavaca through 12th Street.
Capital Metro is also extending service hours on several routes and on its MetroAccess service. These changes are in response to demand and will provide riders with better connections to additional late night service routes such as the Night Owl and E-Bus.
- Routes 1 and 20 will operate one hour later on Sunday.
- Routes 2 and 7 will operate one hour later on Saturday.
- Route 37 and MetroAccess will operate one hour later on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information visit
www.capmetro.org/january2015.
The second phase of fare increases for Capital Metro’s public transit services rolls out Jan. 11.
Dan Dawson, Capital Metro’s vice president of marketing and communications, said increasing fares will allow the agency to offer new and expanded services, such as the release of its mobile app in 2014 and launching real-time information on all of its buses in 2015.
“These are the kinds of things these increased fares will help fund,” Dawson said. “There is just an overall demand from the community that they want more options to get out of traffic. We’re trying to respond to that.”
Single-ride tickets increase to $1.25 from $1 for local bus service. This year fares also will rise for Capital MetroAccess, the agency’s transit service for people with disabilities. Premium service, which includes Capital MetroRapid bus service, single-ride tickets will be $1.75. The cost for one ride on Capital MetroRail will be $3.50.
Despite the increases Capital Metro still offers a 50 percent fare discount for seniors age 65 or older, students age 6–18 years and Medicaid card holders. The Basic Transportation Needs Fund also provides nonprofit organizations with passes to distribute to residents in need.
“We have a big safety net for a lot of people to ensure the public transit system is open to everybody,” Dawson said.
The agency’s board of directors approved the fare changes September 2013 and enacted the first round of increases—also accounting for the new MetroRapid service—in January 2014. Dawson said the goal of splitting the changes into two phases was for an easier transition for riders.
The fare changes address concerns about Capital Metro's fare structure raised by the Texas Sunset Commission—an agency that identifies inefficiencies in government. A separate independent analysis also showed a need to increase Capital Metro’s fares to keep up with the cost of inflation and maintain a consistent revenue stream, Dawson said.
For a complete list of changes visit www.captmetro.org/farechange2015.
