Transit
There are lots of ways to get around Downtown. So whether you're going to the airport, commuting in from work or enjoying a night on the town, kick back and enjoy the ride!
Capital Metro operates numerous bus routes from all parts of town providing service to Downtown. Most individual rides are 50 cents (bus drivers cannot make change). You can buy a $1 day pass that's good for 24-hours, a $5 card that's good for 20 rides (half price) and $10 passes that permit unlimited ridership within a calendar month.
You can purchase monthly passes and half-price fare cards, and pick up free bus schedules and route maps at the Capital Metro Transit Store, located at 323 Congress Avenue, and at most major supermarkets.
Buses
Routes and Schedules
You can reach Capital Metro Customer Assistance at 474-1200. Follow the computerized voice prompts to find your route, or press "0" to reach a live operator. Simply tell the operator your location and your destination, and they'll tell you the best way to get there.
Schedules and route maps are also availalbe at the Capital Metro Transit Store, 323 Congress Avenue, at most supermarkets, and online at www.capmetro.org. Go to "Riding Cap Metro", then click on "Schedules and Maps" or on "Trip Planner.
Capital Metro recently partnered with a local company to offer another option for planning bus trips. Simply use your mobile phone to send a text message to (512) 981-6221. Include your location and where you want to go, and, within a minute, Dadnab will reply with an itinerary telling you how to get to your destination. For more information on how to form your queries, visit the Dadnab web site.
Park & Ride
Park and Ride lots are located throughout the metropolitan area. Service from most locations is frequent during rush hour and is non-stop or has limited stops.
The following is a list of park and ride locations and the address or closest major intesection. Call 474-1200 for detailed information.
Jonestown Park and Ride,
Park Drive and Crestview
Lago Vista Park and Ride,
Dawn Drive and Thunderbird
Leander Park and Ride,
Hwy 275 and U.S. 183, 800 U.S. 183 North
Northwest Park and Ride, Lakeline Blvd. and Lyndhurst St., 1300 Lyndhurst
Pavilion Park and Ride, U.S. 183 and Oak Knoll
Tech Ridge Park and Ride, 900 Center Ridge Drive
Great Hills Park and Ride, 10500 Jollyville Road
The Triangle, 4800 Guadalupe Street
North Lamar Transit Center,
N. Lamar Blvd and U.S. 183
Harris Branch Park and Ride, 11401 Farmhaven Rd.
Manor Park and Ride,
Burnet Road and Townes
Manor Park and Ride,
San Marcos and Burton
Oak Hill Park and Ride,
U.S. Hwy. 290 and Highway.71
'Dillo Park & Ride Lots
Austin High School
-Red 'Dillo
Baseball Fields on Toomey Road
-Gold 'Dillo
'Dillos (Trolleys)
...as in short for armadillo. These free trolleys circulate throughout downtown and beyond. Hop on board when you need a quick lift to a meeting or when you don't have enough time to walk to lunch but don't feel like getting in your car. The 'Dillos are also a great way for visitors to get to many of the attractions downtown. H
- Usually trolley car reproductions
- Stops are marked by a sign with a picture of an armadillo
Daytime Routes
- Most run from 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
- Most run every 15 - 20 minutes and more often during peak hours (see schedules)
- Color-coded routes
- Silver - runs via 5th and 6th Street between Pleasant Valley and Veterans'Drive, just west of Mopac
- Orange -runs from Memorial Stadium, on the UT campus, to South Congress
- Red - Runs from 22nd and Guadalupe to ACC's Rio Grande campus, down Congress to Cesar Chavez and to the Park and Ride lot at Austin High School
- Gold - Identical to the Red, except the Gold continues south on Congress to Barton Springs Road, then to the Park and Ride lot on Toomey Road, just behind Zachary Scott Theatre.
- Blue - Runs during lunch only (11am-2pm) from Congress and MLK to 15th St. then south on San Jacinto to the Austin Convention Center. The blue then heads back to MLK via Lavaca. A quick and conventient way to get to lunch without worrying about parking.
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Other Capital Metro Services
Car Pools, Van Pools and the Guaranteed Ride Home Program
Capital Metro can put you in touch with other Downtown commuters who live and work close to you. You can form your own car pool or join the van pool program for $25 per month. Van pools operate like typical car pools, but Capital Metro provides vans, insurance, and gas for the participants. Capital Metro's Guaranteed Ride Home program will provide up to four free taxi rides for van pool users to use in emergencies. (This program is also available to commuters who purchase monthly passes for express buses.)
For more information, call 477- RIDE or go to www.capmetro.org/riding/van_pool.asp for van pool information and www.capmetro.org/riding/car_pool.asp for car pool information.
The E-Bus
Begun in 2003 as a safe, free way for students to get from West Campus to the 6th Street Entertainment District, the E-Bus was so successful that two new routes have been added from Riverside Drive and from the UT campus to Sixth Street. All three routes run during the spring and fall semesters from 8:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m., Thursday through Friday.
Other Services
- Other late night service includes the Night Owl North, the Night Owl East, and the Night Owl Southeast, which run Tuesday - Sunday, until 3:00 a.m.
- The Airport Flyer - save yourself the trouble and expense of parking at the airport by taking the Airport Flyer —- only 20 minutes from the heart of downtown to the front door of the airport
Transportation Alternatives Make Sense
Save money on parking. If your employer provides free parking, it may be possible to receive the money instead of the parking spot. Based on a daily commute of 10 miles, AAA has determined that the driver of a medium-sized car spends a monthly average of $112 on gas and maintenance. Compare that to $10 for a half price Capital Metro fare card.