CapMetro Offering Free Rides To All Austin Routes Until Saturday

AUSTIN, TX, TX — Capital Metro has been offering free bus rides all week — complimentary lifts continuing through Saturday — to kick off its Summer Service Splash promotions and an ambitious overhaul of its routes.

"Austin has grown at an astounding rate for decades, and with Cap Remap, Capital Metro is adjusting to this growth by realigning its network to better fit the development of the city," Randy Clarke, President/CEO of CapMetro wrote on the transit systems website.

"This is a reset of our system and the result of two years of planning and extensive community outreach," Clarke said. "We are making a shift from looking at an individual route to a network of better-connected routes."

He said the "powerful change" aims to make CapMetro's system more frequent and reliable, while acknowledging frequent riders might not become immediately acclimated to the changes. For that reason, CapMetro employees will be stationed at key bus stops — wearing the transit systems recognizable blue shirts — to answer questions from the public, Clarke said.

"We want to hear from our customers — in person, by phone, through email and on social media," Clarke said. "Not everything is going to be perfect. And, to be a credible agency, we need to analyze data and the feedback you give us and make adjustments where we see opportunities to improve."

In addition to the route revamping, the network will be complemented by several enhancements at bus stops, Clarke said, including shelters with enhanced shade protection and solar-powered signage alerting to bus arrivals.

"We’re also excited for our summer pilot programs that allow kids younger than 18 to ride free and MetroRail to operate late-night on the weekends," the CapMetro chief said. "We think that they will enable the community to make even better use of the new bus network."

As a way of saying thanks to their customers, CapMetro is offering free rides through Saturday. It's a good chance for people unaccustomed to bus travel to try out the new system. Rides typically cost $1.25 one way or $2.50 round trip, the latter allowing riders to use the ticket for 24 hours. It's also a good way to reduce one's carbon footprint, particularly during ozone alert days when residents are encouraged to ride the bus or take the bicycle to their destinations.

So get on a bus and go, without having to worry about the fare until Saturday, June 9.

>>> Images courtesy of CapMetro