CapMetro Rapid

Capital MetroRapid
Capital MetroRapid System Map as of January 2021
Overview
Owner	Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Locale	Austin, Texas, U.S.
Transit type	Bus rapid transit
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	43
Chief executive	Randy Clarke
Headquarters	Austin
Website	http://www.capmetro.org/metrorapid
Operation
Began operation	January 26, 2014
Line maps Route 801 Tech Ridge I-35 IH 35 Chinatown Masterson Rundberg Fairfield North Lamar Transit Center US 183 Anderson Lane Crestview Brentwood Triangle Hyde Park MetroRapid 803 North to Domain 31st Street UT Dean Keeton UT West Mall Museum Capitol Austin History Center Republic Square MetroRapid 803 South to Westgate Colorado River Vic Mathias/Auditorium Shores Soco Oltorf Saint Edward's US 290 Ben White Expressway South Congress St. Elmo Little Texas Pleasant Hill Slaughter Southpark Meadows Route 803 Domain Braker/Stadium UT Research Campus US 183 Research Blvd Crossroads Ohlen Northcross Justin Allandale North Loop Sunshine Rosedale West 38th MetroRapid 801 North to Tech Ridge 31st Street UT Dean Keeton UT West Mall Museum Capitol Austin History Center Republic Square MetroRapid 801 South to Southpark Meadows Seaholm/Central Library Colorado River Barton Springs Lamar Square Oltorf West Bluebonnet Broken Spoke Brodie Oaks US 290 Ben White Expressway Westgate

Capital MetroRapid is a bus rapid transit service in Austin, Texas, owned and operated by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro). It currently consists of two routes which run north-south served by stations designed by McKinney York Architects.

Service on the first route, MetroRapid North Lamar/South Congress (Route 801), began on January 26, 2014. It replaced existing MetroBus Routes 1L/1M and the 101 Express, which traveled along the same corridor. (1M was renamed Route 1 Metric/South Congress, while a local version of the northernmost portion of former route 1L was created as Route 275. The Metric corridor is now served by 325.) Before the original Route 1 North Lamar/South Congress was split into 1L/1M in 2006, it was the busiest line in the Capital Metro system and peaked at 10 minutes headways Monday through Friday, with wider headways on the weekends. (The current Route 1 has wider headways, resulting in overcrowding buses.) Route 801 serves 43 stations between Tech Ridge in North Austin and Southpark Meadows via the University of Texas and Downtown Austin.

A second route, MetroRapid Burnet/South Lamar (Route 803), serves a total of 34 stations between The Domain and Westgate. It began operation during August 2014, but the original Burnet/Manchaca Route 3 remained in service at slightly reduced frequency.

Description and Headways

As both Routes 801 and 803 run north to south, each travels down North Lamar Boulevard and Burnet Road respectively, from their northern terminuses. Approaching the Guadalupe Street corridor, both share stops from 31st Street along Guadalupe into the UT area, The Drag and downtown. Both lines then diverge at Cesar Chavez Street, and the 801 and 803 continue along South Congress Avenue and South Lamar Boulevard respectively to their southern terminuses.

Capital MetroRapid begins service at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, with both lines operating high-frequency service of 10 minutes during the day, with early mornings and early evenings every 15 minutes; service ends at 12:30 a.m. Monday thru Wednesday and at 2:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday nights. On Saturdays, it operates from 6 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Weekend daytime headways consist of every 15 minutes, and seven nights a week (including late Thursday to Saturday nights), every 20 minutes.

List of Capital MetroRapid stations

MetroRapid station shared both by Routes 801 & 803

Transit hub/center and/or park and ride

Bolded MetroBus route number (i.e. 7) indicates high-frequency service

Route 801 - North Lamar/South Congress

north to south

Stop	Intersection/ address	Connections	Notes
Tech Ridge	900 Center Ridge Drive	MetroBus 1, 52, 135, 243, 392, 935 CARTS	northern terminus Serves Tech Ridge Retail Center. Park and Ride
Chinatown	North Lamar Boulevard and Kramer Lane	MetroBus 1
Masterson	North Lamar and Masterson Pass	MetroBus 1
Rundberg	North Lamar and West Rundberg Lane	MetroBus 1, 324, 325, 481	Serves Rundberg/Lamar Shopping Center
Fairfield	North Lamar and West Elliott Street (northbound) North Lamar and Fairfield Drive (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 481
North Lamar Transit Center	7911 Research Boulevard	MetroBus 1, 323,350, 383, 481	MetroRapid stop is located on the North Lamar southbound service road north of U.S. 183 intersection, within walking distance of transit center; both northbound and southbound buses stop there.
Crestview	6920 North Lamar Boulevard	MetroRail Red Line at Crestview Station MetroBus 1, 7, 300 481	MetroRapid stop is located on North Lamar at Airport Boulevard (southbound) or Justin Lane (northbound)
Brentwood	North Lamar and West Koenig Lane	MetroBus 1, 337, 481	Serves Texas Department of Public Safety office
Triangle	4600 Guadalupe Street West	MetroBus 1, 481, 990 UT Shuttle 656 (IF), 681 (IF/FW)	MetroRapid stop is located on West Guadalupe at West Forty-seventh Streets Serves Texas Department of Health and Texas School for the Blind. Park and Ride
Hyde Park	Guadalupe at West Thirty-ninth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe at West Thirty-eight-and-a-half Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 481, 990	Serves Austin State Hospital
31st Street	Guadalupe and West Thirty-first Streets	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 481, 803
UT/Dean Keeton	Guadalupe and West Dean Keeton Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twenty-sixth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 410, 481, 803, 982, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 640 (FA), 642 (WC), 661 (FW)	Serves University of Texas at Austin
UT/West Mall	Guadalupe and West Mall walkway (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twenty-third Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 410, 481, 803, 980, 981, 982, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 640 (FA), 642 (WC)	Serves University of Texas at Austin, The Drag
Museum	Lavaca and West Seventeenth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and Seventeenth (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 18, 19, 20, 105, 481, 803, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Serves Blanton Museum of Art and Bullock Texas State History Museum
Capitol	Lavaca and West Thirteenth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twelfth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 30, 103, 481, 803, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Serves Downtown Austin, the Texas State Capitol complex, ACC Rio Grande campus, Travis County Courthouse
Austin History Center	Lavaca and West Eighth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and Eighth (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 19, 20, 30, 103, 105, 111, 142, 171, 481, 485, 803, 935, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Originally called "Wooldridge Square" Serves Downtown, Austin History Center, Capital Metro Transit Store, Congress Avenue Historic District (walking distance) and Sixth Street.
Republic Square	Lavaca and West Third Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Fourth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 17, 19, 20, 30, 105, 111, 142, 171, 483, 484, 486, 803, 935, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990	Serves Downtown, City Hall, Lady Bird Lake (Colorado River) and Republic Square. Within walking distance of Austin Convention Center and Downtown MetroRail station.
Vic Mathias/Auditorium Shores	West Riverside Drive and Barton Springs Road	MetroBus 1, 7, 10, 20, 142, 483, 486, 935, 987	Originally called "Auditorium Shores" Serves Auditorium Shores, Long Center, Palmer Events Center, Bat colony
SoCo	South Congress Avenue and East Elizabeth Street (northbound) South Congress Avenue and West Monroe Street (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 486	Serves SoCo, Texas School for the Deaf
Oltorf	South Congress Avenue and East/West Oltorf Street	MetroBus 1, 300, 486
St. Edward's	South Congress Avenue and Woodward Street (northbound) South Congress Avenue and Lightsey Road (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 486	Serves St. Edward's University
South Congress Transit Center	301 West Ben White Boulevard	MetroBus 1, 310, 315
St. Elmo	South Congress Avenue and St. Elmo Road	MetroBus 1, 486
Little Texas	South Congress Avenue and Little Texas Lane	MetroBus 1, 486
Pleasant Hill	South Congress Avenue at William Cannon Drive	MetroBus 1, 201, 333, 486
Slaughter	South Congress Avenue at Slaughter Lane	MetroBus 201
Southpark Meadows	Turk and Cullen Lanes	MetroBus 3, 10, 201, 318	southern terminus Serves Southpark Meadows Shopping Center

Route 803 - Burnet/South Lamar

north to south

Stop	Intersection/ address	Connections	Notes
Domain	Alterra Parkway and Esperanza Crossing	MetroBus 466	northern terminus Serves The Domain shopping center
Braker/Stadium	Burnet Road and Braker Lane	MetroBus 3, 383	Serves Q2 Stadium
UT Research Campus	Road A at James Hart Trail (northbound) Road A at Clyde Davis Trail	MetroBus 466	Serves J. J. Pickle Research Campus
Rutland	Burnet Road and Rutland Drive	MetroBus 3, 383
Crossroads	Burnet Road and Polaris Avenue (northbound) Burnet Road and Research Boulevard (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 383
Ohlen	Burnet and Ohlen Roads (northbound) Burnet Road and Penny Lane (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 324
Northcross	Burnet Road and St. Joseph Boulevard (northbound) Burnet Road and West Anderson Lane (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 5, 323, 324	Serves Northcross Shopping Center
Justin	Burnet Road and Justin Lane (northbound) Burnet Road and Pegram Avenue	MetroBus 3
Allandale	Burnet Road and West Koenig Lane (northbound) Burnet Road and Allandale Road (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 337, 491
North Loop	Burnet Road and North Loop Boulevard	MetroBus 3, 345
Sunshine	Sunshine Drive and North Lamar Boulevard	MetroBus 5, 345
Rosedale	North Lamar and West Fortieth Street	MetroBus 5	Serves Central Market, Central Park Shopping Center, Heart Hospital of Austin, Seton Medical Center
West 38th	West Thirty-eighth Street and West Avenue	MetroBus 3, 19, 335, 491, 982, 987
31st Street	Guadalupe and West Thirty-first Streets	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 481, 801
UT/Dean Keeton	Guadalupe and West Dean Keeton Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twenty-sixth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 410, 481, 801, 982, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 640 (FA), 642 (WC), 661 (FW)	Serves University of Texas at Austin
UT/West Mall	Guadalupe and West Mall walkway (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twenty-third Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 410, 481, 801, 980, 981, 982, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 640 (FA), 642 (WC)	Serves University of Texas at Austin, The Drag
Museum	Lavaca and West Seventeenth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and Seventeenth (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 18, 19, 20, 105, 481, 801, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Serves Blanton Museum of Art and Bullock Texas State History Museum
Capitol	Lavaca and West Thirteenth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Twelfth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 30, 103, 481, 801, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Serves Downtown Austin, Texas State Capitol complex, ACC Rio Grande campus, Travis County courthouse
Austin History Center	Lavaca and West Eighth Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and Eighth (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 19, 20, 30, 103, 105, 111, 142, 171, 481, 485, 801, 935, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990 UT Shuttle 663 (LA)	Originally called "Wooldridge Square" Serves Downtown, Austin History Center, Capital Metro Transit Center, Congress Avenue Historic District (walking distance) and Sixth Street.
Republic Square	Lavaca and West Third Streets (northbound) Guadalupe and West Fourth Streets (southbound)	MetroBus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 17, 19, 20, 30, 105, 111, 142, 171, 483, 484, 486, 801, 935, 980, 981, 982, 985, 987, 990	Serves Downtown, City Hall, Lady Bird Lake (Colorado River) and Republic Square. Within walking distance of Austin Convention Center and Downtown MetroRail station.
Seaholm/Central Library	West Cesar Chavez and San Antonio Streets (northbound) West Cesar Chavez and West Streets (southbound)*	MetroBus 3, 111, 171, 980, 981, 985	Originally "Seaholm" *southbound temporary stop due to construction Serves Lady Bird Lake and the Central Library. Within walking distance of Amtrak station
Barton Springs	South Lamar Boulevard and Butler Road (northbound) South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 30, 484	Serves Auditorium Shores, Barton Springs, Long Center, Palmer Events Center, Zach Theatre and Zilker Park
Lamar Square	South Lamar and Lamar Square Drive	MetroBus 3, 484
Oltorf West	South Lamar and West Oltorf Street (northbound) South Lamar and Oxford Avenue (southbound)	MetroBus 3, 300, 484
Bluebonnet	South Lamar and Bluebonnet Lane	MetroBus 3, 300, 484
Broken Spoke	South Lamar and West Ben White Boulevards (northbound) South Lamar and Brodie Oaks
Brodie Oaks	South Lamar and West Ben White Boulevards (northbound) South Lamar and Brodie Oaks
Westgate Transit Center	2027 West Ben White Boulevard	MetroBus 30, 105, 300, 311, 315, 318	southern terminus Replaces original "Westgate" stop on Western Trails Boulevard near Westgate Mall

New stops

The 801 and 803 started to stop at 31st and Guadalupe during the summer of 2018. The usual MetroRapid red shelters (with displays showing how soon the next buses will arrive) were not installed until October.

Broken Spoke on route 803 and St. Elmo and Fairfield on route 801 were first shown as working stops on the maps issued in advance of the August 19th, 2018 CapMetro service changes. Rutland on route 803 and Parmer, North Loop East, and Slaughter on route 801 were first shown as working stops on the maps issued in advance of the January 6th, 2019 CapMetro service changes. However, Slaughter did not actually open until late 2019.

The southern terminus of route 803 was first shown as shifted to the newly-established Westgate Transit Center (with attached park-and-ride parking lot) on the maps issued in advance of the June 2, 2019 CapMetro service changes.

In addition to the new stations, Capital Metro has started installing new departure boards at many MetroRapid stations. These boards are made by Luminator Technology Group and use electronic ink to show the departures of the next several busses. The new boards have many advantages over the dot matrix boards that were installed with the original stations, such as showing departures for not only MetroRapid busses, but also local MetroBus routes that also serve that station. The dot matrix boards at the stations where the new E-ink boards were installed were turned off and are no longer used.

Future plans

Gold Line

Main article: Gold Line (Capital Metro)

The Gold Line is a planned 9.5-mile (15.3 km) bus rapid transit line that would operate from ACC Highland to the South Congress Transit Center park-and-ride, and will travel on Airport, Red River, San Jacinto/Trinity, 7th/8th, Neches/Red River, 4th, Riverside, and South Congress. Stations will be ACC Highland, Clarkson, Hancock, St. David's, UT East, Medical School, Capitol East, Trinity, Downtown Station (where transfer to the Red, Green, or Blue Lines will be possible), Republic Square, Auditorium Shores, SoCo (South Congress), Oltorf, St. Edward's, and South Congress Transit Center. The Gold Line was changed to light rail in May 2020, citing a demographic that showed an increased projected ridership along the gold line that prompted its conversion to light rail. In July 2020, planning for the line was reverted to bus service to lower construction costs in response to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Criticism

The premium fare structure recommended by a consultant caused problems for the agency. It did not collect as much money back from the fare increase as was originally expected. Other BRT systems in Texas such as San Antonio and El Paso intentionally priced their BRT system for local fare. The MetroRapid bus fare was lowered to regular bus prices on January 8, 2017

The agency still experiences MetroRapid problems. People cannot easily get a connecting local route at the Domain MetroRapid station--their nearest local routes are on Burnet road. There are no 803 stations at the Arboretum even though the frequency of the 3 was reduced. The 803 goes into the Pickle Research Center during times/days the campus is closed as opposed to a station easily connecting with the 3 and the 383. Customers using the 801 at the North Lamar Transit Center must walk to the local buses, they do not readily connect to the covered shelters. The North Lamar Transit Center station is not well lit and has physical steps which are not ADA compliant.

External links

• Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority