Federal agency green-lights rapid-transit bus routes

Watson said 40 new buses would serve 77 bus stops and allow riders to connect to other bus routes and the commuter rail line, which stops downtown at 401 E. Fourth St.

"We're talking about more than 20,000 boardings a day on the two routes that it will operate on when it opens up in 2014," she said. "We're talking about mobility, and [Capital] MetroRapid will connect people to major hubs of education, government and business in the most densely populated areas of the city."

The first route will run from the Tech Ridge Park and Ride along North Lamar Boulevard, pass through downtown and continue on South Congress Avenue to Southpark Meadows retail center.

The second route starts from North Austin Medical Center, down Burnet Road, onto South Lamar and stops at the Westgate Transit Center. The two routes will form an 'X' downtown, allowing for more frequent service and access to the other route.

Capital Metro plans to run the buses daily from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. with fewer service hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Todd Hemingson, Capital Metro vice president of strategic planning and development, said he anticipates being able to start construction on the 77 bus stations by the end of summer. The stations will each have a bench, system map, standard route sign and a real-time digital display to show riders the anticipated arrival times of the next two buses. He said the real-time information would even be accessible by mobile phone.

Capital Metro also is partnering with the city on the project through the GPS system to communicate with the city's traffic system and allow the buses to have a longer green light at intersections.

Mayor Lee Leffingwell said adding the bus rapid transit is just one of the methods the city is undertaking to combat traffic. Other solutions include commuter and urban rail and high-occupancy lanes on major roadways.

"We're the 14th largest city in the country, and one of the fastest-growing regions in the entire United States of America," he said. "With that growth, of course, comes problems that we have to address to make sure we maintain quality of life along the way. Primary among those problems we're trying to address right now is transportation and congestion."

A map of the two new routes can be found online.

Oak Hill Park and Ride

Capital Metro plans to relocate the Oak Hill Park and Ride in the near future due to the upcoming Hwy. 290 roadwork.

Local governments and transportation authorities will spend $5.58 million to improve traffic flow along the Hwy. 290 corridor from FM 1826 to Joe Tanner Lane.

The plans include installing a continuous flow intersection—a design that separates turning traffic from through traffic—at William Cannon Drive.

Construction may begin in winter 2012 or spring 2013.

"We do know that the construction that [the Texas Department of Transportation] has planned will substantially impact the Oak Hill Park and Ride," Capital Metro spokeswoman Misty Whited said. "It will reduce our capacity and possibly impact ingress and egress out of the facility."

She said Capital Metro has not announced a date to close the park and ride but that the transportation authority would give riders plenty of notice.

She added that Capital Metro is considering a handful of locations around the Y at Oak Hill, the intersection of highways 290 and 71.

This is not the first time in recent memory that the park and ride has relocated. The park and ride moved from Oak Hill Plaza in 2009.

"We would prefer to stay in [the area near the Y]. There are a lot of things to look at: design, price, construction," she said.