Capital Metro's Life Story

Capital Metro's life story begins on January 19, 1985, when voters in Austin and the surrounding area approved the creation of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The voters agreed that the communities would support the agency with the proceeds from a one percent sales tax. Voters in that 1985 election also approved a service plan that expanded the existing Austin city bus service and called for the development of a light rail transportation system to serve the area.

Ten capital-area jurisdictions voted to participate in Capital Metro, including Austin, Cedar Park, Highland Lake Estates, Lago Vista, Leander, Pflugerville, Rollingwood, San Leanna, West Lake Hills, and the Anderson Mill area of Williamson County. By the end of that year, the suburban cities of Jonestown and Manor, along with some unincorporated areas in northern Travis County, Precinct 2 of Travis County voted to join the service area.

Some of the original member jurisdictions have since voted to withdraw from Capital Metro and deny bus service to their area. These include West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Cedar Park and Pflugerville.

In December 1988, the Board of Directors voluntarily lowered the sales and use tax to 0.75-cent beginning in April 1989. In June 1995, the Board of Directors reinstated the sales and use tax to the full one-percent (1%) effective October 1, 1995.

In May 1997, the Texas Legislature changed the structure of the Capital Metro Board. It replaced Capital Metro's seven-member appointed Board with a five-member interim Board appointed by the Austin Transportation Study which is now known as the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization or CAMPO.

The Interim Board members served until a new Board was put in place that constituted five elected officials and two (appointed) members-at-large. The Board was composed of two council members appointed by the Austin City Council; one commissioner appointed by the Travis County Commissioners' Court; one mayoral representative appointed by the mayors of the suburban cities of Travis County within the service area; One representative appointed by a panel made up of the mayors of the suburban cities, the Williamson County Judge, and the presiding officer of each municipal utility district; and two members-at-large appointed by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Under new state legislation in 2009, the Board of Directors changed the composition and the size of the board from seven members to eight. The new law reduced the number of elected officials required to serve on the board, and instituted new requirements regarding the professional experience of certain appointees.

The current board consists of two members appointed by the Austin City Council, in which one must be a member of the Austin City Council; one member representing the small cities in Capital Metro's service area; a member each appointed by the Travis County commissioners and Williamson County commissioners; and three members appointed by the CAMPO, including an elected official, an individual with at least ten years of professional experience in finance or accounting and an individual with at least ten years of professional experience in executive-level management.

Labor Structure
State law prohibits any political subdivision of the state, such as Capital Metro, from engaging in collective bargaining with a labor organization. However, the Federal Transit Act requires recipients of federal transit assistance to protect collective bargaining rights. As a result of this conflict between state and federal laws, Capital Metro contracts with an independent contractor, StarTran, Inc. for the provision of operations' personnel, including bus operators and mechanics. Certain employees of StarTran, Inc. are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091. Neither the Board nor the General Manager may exercise any direct authority over the employees of this independent contractor, StarTran.

Capital Metro also contracts with two other service providers for bus operations, First Transit and Veolia. First Transit provides shuttle service for University of Texas students, faculty and staff.

Long Range Plans
Over the years, Capital Metro has worked with the community to provide new public transportation options, including passenger rail service. In a November 2000 referendum, voters in the service area narrowly voted against a proposal to develop a 52 mile regional light rail system.

The agency responded to the community’s concerns four years later by seeking input from thousands of citizens across the service area to help create a new long-range transit plan called “All Systems Go!” The 20-year transit plan includes expanded local and express bus service, new rapid bus service, and a 32-mile urban commuter rail starter line along Capital Metro's existing freight tracks, as well as access to land next to the tracks to create hike and bike trails. Capital MetroRail’s nine stations will serve downtown, east Austin, northwest Austin and the City of Leander. Capital Metro began the process of implementing the rapid bus and rail projects in 2004. Capital MetroRail service opened on March 22, 2010. MetroRapid is expected to open by 2012.

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2910 East 5th Street | Austin, Texas 78702 | (512) 389-7400
Specific Route Information | (512) 474-1200