AUSTIN, Texas — Many Texans don't have a lot of personal experience relying on public transit to get to work. But as Central Texas' population increases, that growth is felt on the roadways every morning.
Now, with ongoing construction closures and frequent wrecks creating hours of gridlock, some Austin-area residents are seeking new ways to get to the office.
One option is CapMetro's Red Line train, which has stops from Leander all the way to Downtown Austin and back again. KVUE Traffic Anchor Hannah Rucker visited the Downtown Austin stop at Fourth and Neches streets to interview morning commuters.
One woman said she started using transit just two months ago after getting into a car crash in Austin. Unable to use her car due to damage, she now gets on the downtown train to The Domain every morning.
"I'm actually getting used to this," Elizabeth Aliye said. "I didn't explore buying a car yet – psychologically, I'm not there. But for the time being, I am loving walking a little bit, getting the train coming in."
The next person KVUE spoke with was a man who said he specifically sought out a job where he could rely on public transit for his commute. Jonathan Gartner has been commuting from Wells Branch into the downtown area for two years, bringing his scooter and helmet along with him on the train.
"Well, really ever since I've lived near the Howard Station up there, I've been wanting a job where I can take the train," Gartner said. "So, I finally got a job two years ago, and I took it the first chance I got."
Next, a man coming in from Leander arrived to the downtown station. Stewart Lafoll is a tech worker in Austin but bought a house in Leander because it was more affordable. But while he was attracted by the affordability, he didn't love the commute that came with it. He said some mornings, it took him over an hour to get downtown.
"Once moving to Leander in the spring, I only tried commuting the toll roads two or three days. And then I tried out the train one day, and I was just like, 'Immediately, this is so much better,'" Lafoll said. "Then the company that I work for, they provide parking and they'll reimburse you the train pass. So even if I didn't get reimbursed, the amount of money I'd be spending on toll roads compared to a train pass., it's not even compliable,"
Are you a Texan trying transit? Hannah Rucker wants to hear from you. You can email her at hrucker@kvue.com or reach out on Instagram @hannahruckertv or on X @suphannahrucker.