Capital Metro
Category: Public Services & Government [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown106 E 8th St
Austin, TX 78701 (512) 389-7454
16 Reviews for Capital Metro
I have no idea of what it's like to live in Austin and use Capital Metro for daily commuting. This review is based solely on using the Airport Flyer, Route 100, to travel between Downtown and the Airport during a recent business trip to Austin.
When I received orders from the boss to go meet with my employer's Texas lobbyists and relevant state officials, it was only logical to stay Downtown within walking distance of the Capitol. I'm not a big fan of cabs, so if I don't need a rental car to get around, I'll usually look for public transportation between the airport and downtown.
Most cities offer a bus or rail connection along those lines, but some are better than others. While nothing beats a train from airport to city, Austin offers the best bus connection I've seen. What's so nice about the Airport Flyer? First, it's an incredible bargain at only 50 cents each way. Second, it makes limited stops, so it's a quick run from the airport to Downtown and then on towards the University of Texas. Finally, the buses on this route have actual luggage racks. Nothing is worse than boarding a city bus and having to put luggage under one's feet because there's no room elsewhere.
I don't know if the Airport Flyer is typical of Capital Metro or just a showcase for out-of-town visitors, but it impressed me when business brought me to Austin.
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I've always felt that a city's public transportation is one of the most reflective aspects of a city. Its cleanliness, ease of use, efficiency all greatly impact how a visitor and a city's citizens perceive a city to be.
A grimy, smelly, dirty old bus will make people think that the city is that way if that is how they commute around.
A clean, modern, whirring and kneeling bus with automated GPS announcements make people think "now this is a nice and modern city".
Luckily, Capital Metro is the latter. Not to mention that their pricing scheme is very fair and competitive. My friends from NYC and Chicago couldn't believe that a fare was only $0.50, or $1 for a daypass. This will probably go up (as it should), but even if they double it, its a bargain relative to other big prosperous cities.
Like Austin, Cap Metro buses to have their fair share of crazies. That is certainly different from Chicago's transportation system. People on those busses generally bathe and don't cuss to themselves. Not that this is the company's fault.
Why only 4 stars? Capital Metro, you're killing me downtown. It takes about 10 minutes to get from Cesar Chavez (1st) to 11th st on Congress Ave. If I want to go from South Congress to UT, that is simply a bit too long for a 10-block portion of a ride. I would seriously move to halve the number of bus stops downtown.
I think its fair to make people walk an extra half block to a bus stop in the name of making the bus transit times significantly shorter and more efficient on fuel. I'd rather have more frequent buses and have to walk an extra block. We'll see if they ever fix this, though.
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I'm a UT student who gets to ride Cap Metro for free, AND I don't have my own car, so I'm catching the bus at least once a day during the week. I come from a city with a truly AWFUL public transit system that everyone but crack dealers is too frightened to ride, so Cap Metro is like the frikkin Magic Schoolbus to me.
If you can ever take the Express buses, do so. They're the big tall ones that go from the 'burbs past downtown on weekdays (the 980s). These are so much quieter, cleaner and, because of limited stops, faster. If you get one of the really tall ones that looks like a charter bus inside, there's free WiFi, too. And most importanly, THE CRAZIES DON'T GET ON THESE BUSES! I'm not sure if it's because they cost a bit more than regular routes or what, but every Express I've ever taken has been totally crazy-free. And for someone who rides the 3 bus several times a week, that's a welcome relief.
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Bite me, Capital Metro.
Riding the bus? Does not save hassle. Riding the bus? Is not relaxing. Riding the bus? Pretty much blows.
Okay, I'm sorry for the harshness of that. But I've spent two years now using the bus to get pretty much everywhere. I live south and work above 183 - that's a 3 hour round-trip on the bus, folks - not even counting delays because the bus was late or the driver didn't feel like stopping for you. Versus an hour & 30 minute round-trip drive. That bus commute? Blows.
I really liked it at first - it was convenient, it was cheap, and before I realized how much more relaxing it was to drive, I really thought the bus was less stressful. But after two years of walking to work in pouring rain, or in 100-degree heat, carrying a bag full of shit to do on the bus (because I got bored) and getting passed by my co-workers in their big-ass trucks (who would later mock me at the office because they do not understand public transit)... I am over the bus. I am SO over the bus.
The drivers are rude 50% of the time (I saw one yell at a blind guy once for daring to ask for directions), frequently the non-express routes are up to 40 minutes late, the buses are filled with creepy guys who like to rub up against me or hit on me (one guy once tried to strike up a conversation about naked laundromats, and another groped my ass)... and I've had buses drive right past me when I was standing at the stop, tired and exhausted, more times than I can count. IT BLOWS.
Just to be a little less flippant, yeah, it was really nice to save money. And I felt really good about doing my part for the environment. It was safer when I was sick or extremely tired. And probably some of this comes from the fact that I've spent most of my life up north, where public transit is much more reliable. But I'm still very glad to be leaving my Crapital Metro riding days largely behind me.
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As good as Capital Metro is -- and especially compared to the other towns I have lived in -- I have to leave off one star for the "bit more" that still needs to be done, i.e., more buses, more often, going more places.
If there were MORE buses then maybe they wouldn't be so crowded either, which is not the only reason there should be more -- just one more reason. Actually my friend heard on the news the other day that Captial Metro is considering going 24/7 with the buses and making them FREE. That would be awesome!!!
I lived half my adult life without a car and most of that time in Austin so I have been very dependent on the buses many times of my life and now I am going "back to it" -- selling my car or putting it up for hibernation -- and just bought my first 31-day pass, which totally rocks for $10/month. I do wish the Express buses didn't cost more so I could take them easily too, but the fact is they are not extensive enough yet. For instance I have a friend that lives on 620 about 5 miles down from Anderson Mill and she has to spend over $10 (about $13) to take a TAXICAB to the nearest Express bus, and that just totally sucks.
I mean really, it is time for mass transit to get REALLY efficient so that a LOT more people can hang up their cars and ride public transportation. I have always believed in public transportation (except for the New Orleans incident, in which case people who didn't have cars were doubly screwed). Hmm...guess I won't sell that car...
One other thing: I like, even love, riding the bus enough here in Austin that sometimes I do it just for fun and to get out of the apartment when I have been holed up too long.
I must express my gratitude for Capital Metro.
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As a car-less 5- or 6-day-a-week Cap Metro rider, I have to say that it is well worth it. Not the greatest bus system, no, but it's pretty darn good! It's cheap. ($10 a month! Can't beat it!) The buses are pretty reliable. They are usually on time, or at least pretty close. They go all over the place.
I've lived in four different Austin locations and there has always been a bus stop within a few minutes walk of my front door. (My current bus stop is literally across the street! Yay!) True, they won't get you *everywhere* but 99% of the time for me the bus is AOK. (I just wish the bus route in my neighborhood ran on Sundays! *sigh*)
I have to laugh when I tell people I commute on the bus and they look at me with horror and then offer me a ride. Really, folks, it's not as bad/scary/time-consuming as you probably think it is!
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Today was my first day to ride Cap Metro. Ever. I had brunch at Taverna and was late getting to a book signing up at the Texas Book Festival. It was 2:35 and I needed to be up there by 3. I was already hot from walking two blocks from Taverna to Congress when I thought that I could probably get on the bus to take me up the road 9 blocks.
So I go to the bus stop at 4th and Congress and when the bus arrives, I lean in and ask the driver if I should get on this bus to take me to the Capitol. I apologized for being ignorant and told her that it was first time on the bus. Ever. She told me to just hop on and she'd get me down there. She didn't even make me pay for the trip. Before I got off the bus she handed me a free day pass and told me that I could use it to get back on the bus to ride back to where I came from.
That experience made me wish that riding the bus was more of a possibility for me. I am sure she gets questions about stops everyday from newbies like me and instead of being the disgruntled driver she has every right to be, she helped the confused little soul that stood in her bus doorway.
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I *heart* CapMetro!
I take the bus to and from work to save on gas $, not hassle with parking and in order to just sit back, relax and read a book.
$10 a month to ride all you want - can't beat that!
I have bus passes for me and all three kiddos and we love it!
YAY for saving money
YAY for someone else driving
YAY for there being a stop right in front of Campbell's Hole!!!!
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Ok, so I've never owned a car. Never had a license, even. i walk, get rides or take the bus everywhere. I've also lived in many cities - places like Los Angeles and Dallas (can you believe it? i lived in LA with no car). So, I'm used to taking buses in many different cities.
I have to say that Cap Metro, for all it's failings, its buses full of sweaty, unshowered homeless people in the middle of summer, its lackadaisical running times at times, its pain-in-the-assness of trying to get across town in less than 3 hours and 4 transfers....
It's probably the best bus system I've ever ridden. The drivers are (generally) friendly, (except for the extremely surly driver on route #338 that I've never heard a word uttered from, just glowering looks and his sign that he puts up "ASK FOR DAY PASS BEFORE DEPOSITING MONEY" and "NOTIFY DRIVER BEFORE REMOVING YOUR BICYCLE" so he doesn't have to talk to you), the buses are 95% of the time on time and it has many options to avoid really spooky/dangerous stops at night (like N. Lamar transit center and 6th and Brazos). A comfort from someone who has been mugged riding the mass transit system in Dallas.
I am also looking forward to the train system getting up and running. I think that will make times going from north/north west to south (and vice versa) go much much faster, and besides, it'll make Austin feel more like a real city.
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Austin's Cap Metro is embarrassing compared to other cities. That being said, I'm glad that there's something in town to get me around since I do not have a car. But not having a car in other cities (well cities north of the mason-dixon line) usually doesn't feel like such an impediment.
+ Cheap cheap cheap. $10 for a monthly pass is hilariously cheap
- Long waits between buses (20 -40 minutes)
- Late buses (I've waited 2 cycles of supposed stops before)
+ Free Dillos
- Weird-ass routes
Actually, let's talk about that last one....why are the routes so convoluted? I've never seen more twisty bus routes before. I understand that neighborhoods need service, but I don't think it makes sense to have a bus swerving around narrow neighborhood streets on its way to major streets. Why is there a bus stop on one side of the street, but not on the other because the bus takes a completely different route going the opposite way? Ugh frustrating.
I would love to see less people driving (one person in a car) and more people on trains or buses, but I don't see that happening with the weird service that cap metro provides (and the sick attachment people seem to have to their cars here).
I wish Austin would take a clue from other cities that have excellent public transportation. Until then, I'll just suffer in the heat waiting and waiting and waiting.
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I give Capitol Metro 4 stars. the buses are usually on time. They are generally safe. I've ridden in busses and subways in other cities that did not feel so safe. Riding the bus allows me to afford things that I would not be able to afford were I to drive a car. I always have money. And when I had my Isuzu Trooper, which I sold last summer, The car would eat up my money.
Capitol Metro is great.
The only thing I hate about riding the bus is that.. when you ride as much as I do, you will eventually leave something on the bus. I have left things on the bus at least 3 times and none of the items are ever recovered. Just yesterday, I left my messenger bag on the bus. The bus went out of service 15 minutes after I got off of it, and still... somehow... my bag disappeared. It is not Capitol Metro's fault. It's dishonest people who don't turn things in that don't belong to them!!!
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I want to ride the bus more often because...
It saves moolah.
It saves hassle.
You can read or people watch.
If you happen to live within a bus line you can pretty much get within mere steps of any spot downtown.
Yay for no DUI'S! (It had to be said!)
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I would give them 5 stars if all the busses in the city were as easy to use and catch as the ones running up and down Lamar.
I would give them 5 stars if they could invest in a little air frshener.
I would give them 5 stars if they started charging UT students to take the bus instead of raising the bus fares for everyone else.
I would give them 5 stars if they empowered the bus drivers with a bullhorn to shut up the idiots jabbering on their cell phones that distract the bus drivers from driving.
I would give them 5 stars if the after hours computer system would recognize 9th and Congress or Congress and 9th as an intersection instead of repeatedly telling me "that intersection does not exist".
I give them 4 stars because a $10 monthly transportation budget ain't bad at all.
I give them 4 stars because they have made a ton of improvements in services and modes of transport over the years that I've lived here.
I give them 4 stars for the friendly and safe ride home.
I give them 4 stars for being on time 99% of the time.
I give them 4 stars for the express, dillo, and Night Owl services.
I give them 4 stars because it's always an ego boost to look down at a dreadlocked hippy in an SUV from the window of a bus.
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"Life in the Bus Lane....surely make you lose your mind"
I have been a user of Capital Metro from the day I moved here in January of 1995. I have taken literally thousands of trips on the buses in Austin.
You can get a monthly pass for $10 and that alone makes it great. A 24 hour pass is just a buck. You can ride several 'Dillo routes for free around central Austin. The Cap Metro bus is usually much cleaner than public transportation in most major cities. That sure beats getting caught in traffic with a Witchy Woman.
The negatives? Well, Capital Metro doesn't have the best reputation for running on time. Much of the time they do. Then there are the times when it's 106 degrees outside and you're cursing "Capital No-Show". Also, at least once a month I see drivers leave riders behind that are running frantically to catch the bus, or knocking on the window to get in. I've been in that position several times and have never understood why they don't just open the door. They need to Take It Easy.
In the Long Run, I think that Don Henley fans will agree with the rest of us that the positives will outweigh the negatives. In the days when gas stations are beating you up for your lunch money Capital Metro is a good deal. Especailly if you're the New Kid in Town.
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*This is for Austin's Captial Metro Transit bus system.*
I was a little worried about riding the bus downtown. My friends and rommates told me the bus lines were usually late and unreliable, and that it would take me an hour to get me where I want to go. However, I need to ride the bus to get to work because parking downtown costs $3 to $5 a day!
So, I gave it a shot, took the 15/16 from Hancock Center and I got there in a mere 20 minutes without any trouble. Now the trick is riding it during rush hour...
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For the past month, I've been taking the northbound #10 at 7:30 A.M. (I catch it on South 1st and Eberhart) to work, five days a week. Anyone familiar with public transportation knows that the seats are not very ample. It's part of the joy - you will often rub shoulders with the person next to you. Like the average commuter, I carry my purse, lunchbox, and a book. (My purse is one of those small-sized jobs, which is just large enough to hold my wallet, my phone, a few necessities, and a small notebook.)
Sitting next to a funny-smelling person, a fidgety child, or a teenager wearing over-sized headphones listening to some thump-thump hip hop is not always ideal, but hey, it's part of the experience. One day, though, a crotchety lady - you know, the kind who pulls her hair tightly back, coordinates everything down to her shoes and purse, and has a permanent scowl on her face - sat next to me. She was either a disgruntled vice principal or a surly secretary. First she made me move my lunchbox - all right, I will concede to that because it was slightly encroaching on the seat next to me. Then she kept sighing miserably and giving me the evil eye every time I turned a page in my book. After a few minutes, she asked me to move my purse, which was NOT in her space, but merely touching her. Apparently, she thought she was in a chauffeured limousine, not a city bus. I ended up moving to another seat.
Still, I have to say that I enjoy riding the bus to work: I have not filled my gas tank for weeks, I can nod off while stuck in traffic, I can read, I get a bit of exercise and sun walking the short distance to and from the bus stops. If I miss the bus, another will come by within 25 minutes. It's a dollar for a day pass. Oh, the bus driver who operates my morning route is the nicest man ever. He always wishes me a good day, asks if he will see me the next morning, and will wait a minute longer if he sees me hurrying down the street to catch the bus. And he treats everyone else just as nicely!
p.s. Today, I ordered my monthly pass for $10. A deal, I tell you!
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