CapMetro Officials Say Ridership Down for MetroRapid Service In South Austin

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — MetroRapid bus service has been lagging below ridership projections just two years after the premium service was introduced, according to a report.

Capital Metro's MetroRapid buses feature WiFi signals, fewer stops and other amenities since their January 2014 launch. The service was unveiled at a $47.6 million cost with 80 percent derived from the Federal Transportation Administration's "Very Small Starts" program.

“Ridership in the North Lamar/South Congress corridor, led by the new MetroRapid service, is projected to reach 20,000 boardings per weekday within the first two years of operation,” KXAN-TV reported a news release ahead of the launch as having read.

But ridership is only at 13,000 per day along the corridor, CapMetro spokesman Dan Dawson said.
“We believe that’s partially due to the fact that we need some more stations and also development has been slower on that corridor than it has been on the 803, where we’re seeing a lot of condos and new apartments going up."

The 803 line was added in August 2014 as a complement to the 801 service. Dawson says ridership for the 803 line has grown. Dawson also noted both routes have met goals outlined by federal transportation officials, KXAN reported.

To bolster ridership, CapMetro plans to build new stations, increasing bus frequency to every 10 minutes by 2017 and added new vehicles to the lines, Dawson told the news stations. And on Monday, the Capital Metro board of directors voted to reduce the higher fares on both the MetroRapid and Flyer lines to the same level as Local bus service as another inducement to increase ridership.

Starting this January, all local MetroRapid and Flyer service will cost the same as Local service bus routes: $1.25 for a single ride, $2.50 for a day pass, $11.25 for a week pass and $41.25 for a monthly pass.

The fare reduction is part of the Connection 2025 goals involving a review of the entire bus system. The aim of the price reductions for the MetroRapid and Flyer routes is to make it easier for riders to move around the mass transit system, officials previously said.

>>> Read the full story at KXAN

Photo via Capital Metro