CapMetro gears up for new Pickup, MetroRapid bus services in 2025
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- CapMetro is poised to add three new services to its transportation network, unveiling new Pickup and MetroRapid services come 2025.
CapMetro is presenting a status update on its newest services to the Austin Urban Transportation Commission at its meeting Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. Included in that discussion are details on the Decker Pickup service along with the Pleasant Valley and Expo Center MetroRapid lines.
CapMetro's Decker Pickup service will launch Jan. 13, partnering with Travis County to service the northeast Austin areas near Decker Lane and Colony Park. The Pickup service will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, with connections to nearby schools, shopping centers, community recreation sites and other CapMetro bus operations.
The Austin transit authority is also expected to debut two new MetroRapid lines in the spring, pending final testing.
CapMetro's Pleasant Valley line (Route 800) will originally run from the Mueller area down to a temporary station at Vertex, with a future expansion to the upcoming Goodnight Ranch Park & Ride. Construction on that park and ride is ongoing, with end-of-line charging planned for electric bus vehicles.
In the meantime, both the Pleasant Valley line and the upcoming Expo Center line (Route 837) will begin operating using diesel vehicles. CapMetro documents added there will be a "strategic use of battery electric buses" as available.
For the Expo Center line, it will begin at Republic Square in downtown Austin and eventually terminate at the Expo Center. However, when it initially begins service in 2025, its temporary last stop will be at Decker Lane, given work still underway on the future Expo Center Park & Ride.
Documents said an "initial phased service" is expected to begin in the spring, while full-fledged operations will be programmed and implemented come 2026. Similarly, both routes will begin with projected 20-minute daytime and 30-minute nighttime frequencies before pivoting to a 10-to-15-minute frequency in 2026.
"The full vision is anticipated in 2026, with the goal of providing 10-15-minute frequency on weekdays, new Park & Rides, and zero-emission vehicles on the lines," documents read.
The two new MetroRapid lines are part of the Project Connect program investment and received a $65.6 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration's Small Starts Program.