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CapMetro Rides with Pride

CapMetro Goes “Beyond the Rainbow”  

CapMetro was bursting with pride at Austin’s annual Pride Parade last Saturday, Aug. 20. CapMetro’s vibrant bus made its way down Congress Avenue starting at the Texas State Capitol to the Congress Avenue Bridge. 

This year’s Austin Pride theme was “Beyond the Rainbow” and focused on celebrating oneself after the difficult past couple of years. This was CapMetro’s 11th year participating in the Pride Parade. If you were not able to make it, click here to see Austin’s pride and we hope to see you next year!

CapMetro at the 2022 Pride Parade

Project Connect Updates and Outreach Opportunities

The Project Connect team appreciates the tremendous amount of input we have received from the community as we work to expand and improve our public transportation network. This past spring, more than 4,000 participants attended 16 neighborhood-level working groups, public meetings and community design workshops. This feedback is crucial as we continue to move through the next phase of Project Connect. 

Project Connect is being impacted by the same cost increases affecting families, businesses and economies around the world. This includes rapid changes in market conditions, rising inflation and increased construction costs. In addition, feedback from the community as well as technical changes and refinements to the project scope have increased costs.  

As a result, the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the entity tasked with implementing Project Connect, is extending the project development phase for light rail and will engage with the community in the coming months to develop a first light rail project that can be executed given these constraints. The priority has been, and will continue to be, to build projects that best reflect Austin’s priorities and values, and ATP remains committed to implementing Austin’s vision to build a comprehensive transit system without any new taxes.  

ATP will continue to focus on completing environmental review and project design to secure funding from the Federal Transit Administration for the light rail projects. This fall, the team will work with the community to share ATP’s decision-making process and gather additional input using surveys and focus groups that will inform project development. We encourage you to join us in this process by providing feedback and insights about the project over the coming months. 

For a more detailed update on project development and costs associated with implementing Project Connect, you can access a recording of the ATP Board Meeting held on July 20, 2022. 

If you are interested in being more involved with Project Connect but aren’t sure how to get started, reach out to us at feedback@projectconnect.com.  

Survey Seeks Feedback on Downtown Austin Streetscapes  

Efforts are underway to review and enhance the look, feel and function of Austin's downtown street grid. The Austin Core Transportation (ACT) Plan, led by the City of Austin, will work through identified needs in our transportation network, coordinate with other ongoing efforts related to land use and transportation in the area, and present feasible options for improving mobility and access downtown. It will include a list of projects to help the city achieve the community's vision. 

An online survey launched a few weeks ago to gather feedback from the community about what people value most in a downtown street. That feedback, which will continue through September, will help craft draft proposals for enhancing the street network. The survey is available in English and Spanish. You can also sign up for updates or learn more on the ACT Plan website. 

Stay Up-to-Date with Our Community Engagement Library      

Missed out on our recent spring public meetings or want to hear the feedback shared with us by your neighbors and community members? Visit our Project Connect Engagement Library. The library includes documents, videos of public meetings, presentations with project design options, and most important, feedback, ideas, and comments we received from community members during Project Connect engagement efforts. Visit the Project Connect homepage for up-to-date project and program information. 

Your comments are an important part of the Project Connect program! Visit our Community Engagement Process page to learn more about how your feedback can help shape projects as they move forward.  

CapMetro #StuffTheBus and August Service Changes  

CapMetro is proud to support our community’s youth in the Central Texas area by providing school supplies just in time for the 2022/2023 school year. In partnership with H-E-B and its beneficiary, For the Children, CapMetro assisted in “stuffing the bus” through a Back-to-School education supplies drive. For The Children uses 100% of all donations raised to purchase new school supplies for more than 56,000 students in Central Texas. If you’d like to chip in, donations are still being accepted online at schoolsuppliesforthechildren.com.  

CapMetro and H-E-B helped #StuffTheBus with school supplies for AISD  

With the return to in-person attendance, students, teachers and staff can catch these special School Tripper bus routes this fall: MetroBus 4 - 7th Street, MetroBus 217 - Montopolis Feeder, MetroBus 333 - William Cannon and MetroBus 337 - Koenig/Colony Park.   

Learn more about all service changes here. 

MEEP Watch   

Keep an eye out for CapMetro’s Mobile Engagement and Event Pop-up (MEEP) vehicle in the Austin area. The MEEP is a mobile community engagement resource that will increase opportunities for public involvement across diverse and marginalized communities. With the MEEP, CapMetro has the opportunity to gather feedback, participate in community events and activities, and share information on upcoming projects with communities across Austin. CapMetro is excited to bring engagement opportunities to a neighborhood near you. 

The Mobile Engagement and Event Pop-up (MEEP) vehicle