LEANDER, Texas — Leander residents have voiced their thoughts about public transit in the city. Voters approved continuing the city's partnership with Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) which means bus and rail services will continue.
Leander resident Emina Bozek uses the train regularly. If this partnership didn't continue, she would have made the tough choice to leave.
"I was considering moving to one of the other nearby cities," said Bozek. "I could get a house for cheaper and potentially just as good schools. There was no compelling reason to stay in Leander without a train."
In May 2021, the Leander City Council approved putting the issue of whether the City should cut ties with CapMetro on the local ballot. At that time, the council still needed to call an election.
In January 2022, the council was set to review draft ballot language that would ask voters if the City should end the partnership. The continued discussion came after a December 2021 study conducted by a contractor highlighted low ridership numbers and limitations to the current service offered by CapMetro. Later in January, the council members voted to hold a special election in May 2022 to place the matter in the voters' hands.
For Proposition A on their May 7 ballots, Leander voters were asked, “Shall the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority be continued in the City of Leander?” They had the option to vote “yes” or “no” and a majority of voters voted to stay with CapMetro.
Bozek said taking the train saves her from Austin's traffic.
"I do work downtown in tech," she added. "So, instead of fighting rush hour, I can hop on a train."
"CapMetro looks forward to its continued partnership with the City of Leander and appreciates Leander voters recognizing the vital role public transit has in the community," a CapMetro spokesperson said on Sunday.
"In continued support of the partnership, recently CapMetro and the City of Leander entered into an agreement that will provide the city with additional funds to build transit-supportive infrastructure. Additionally, the CapMetro Board of Directors created a $10 million infrastructure fund that will not only benefit the City of Leander, but also the other small member cities in CapMetro’s service area.
"The two-way partnership between CapMetro and the City of Leander is important for so many people, and the impact of this collaboration will only increase as the region continues to grow."
Prior to the election, the City of Leander paid CapMetro for bus and rail services with 1% of the sales tax revenue collected by the city. Leander has paid 1 cent out of the 2 cents collected in local sales tax since 1985, when the City joined CapMetro.
Now, existing CapMetro services will continue and CapMetro will continue to be funded in part by a 1% sales tax in the city.
To learn more about Leander’s partnership with CapMetro and Proposition A, click here.
KVUE is tracking election results across Austin and Central Texas. See election results in real-time for the May 7 special election.
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