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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 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 were to serve until such time that a permanent Board of Directors could be constituted with five elected officials and two (appointed) members-at-large. The permanent Board is composed of the following:

  • 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.

There are no term limits for Capital Metro board membership.

The Board is responsible for making policies relative to the operation, control and management of Capital Metro. It is authorized to hire the President/CEO and others necessary to operate the Authority effectively. The President/CEO in turn has the responsibility for running the day-to-day operation of the agency.

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 said no to 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 included 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. The Urban Commuter Rail line’s nine stations will serve downtown and east Austin, northwest Austin and the City of Leander. Capital Metro began the process of implementing the All Systems Go Rapid Bus and Urban Commuter Rail projects in 2004. Capital MetroRail service will debut in 2008 and Rapid Bus service could be operational by 2009 or 2010.

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.

Although the Board is required to hold one regular meeting each month, the group typically conducts a work session of the entire Board in addition to the monthly Board meeting.

The Board may not act without a quorum of the board and may act by a majority vote of the board members present. The Board has two standing committees for operations, finance and budget, and planning. These committees review information and make recommendations to the full Board of Directors. Nominations to the committees are made by the Board Chairperson and are approved by Board resolution. The Board currently receives input from the Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee and the Access Advisory Committee.


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