AUSTIN — Capital Metro and RideAustin are teaming up to give West Austin residents free rides to two bus stops as a part of a six-month pilot program, according to a press release from the transit agency Thursday.
Starting June 4, customers traveling from within a particular zone in West Austin can order a ride through RideAustin to one of two designated bus stops on Route 18 and Route 335 near Exposition Boulevard, free of charge. Those wishing to take advantage of the problem can be taken to the bus stop at the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Enfield Road (Stop ID 1985) or the bus stop in front of Cassis Elementary School near Exposition Boulevard and Westover Road (Stop ID 1426).
The trips are available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the next six months. When booking one of these trips, the RideAustin app will show a banner that says, “This ride is free of charge as part of the Cap Metro innovation project.”
Capital Metro customers who need wheelchair-accessible vehicles or are unable to use the RideAustin app, can call 512-369-6200 to have a ride reserved for them.
This program comes as CapMetro's bus network, Cap Remap, launches June 3.
"While providing much more service to Central Texas residents, it does remove direct bus service from some parts of the Capital Metro service area. A portion of Exposition Boulevard is one of the corridors that is losing service," CapMetro said in a statement. "When Capital Metro’s board of directors adopted the Cap Remap service change in 2017, board members directed staff to consider how the agency could still serve residents of this part of West Austin."