CHAPTER 1 – EXISTING CONDITIONS

Capital Metro Page 1-1 Chapter 1 - Existing Conditions January 2010

CHAPTER 1 – EXISTING CONDITIONS

The analysis of Capital Metro’s services was prepared from electronic data provided by Capital Metro staff. Ridership data was gleaned from the August 2008 Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) counts and on-time performance data was obtained from the September 2008 trends report and is based on a 12 month average from October 2007 through September 2008. Several routes are not included in this analysis due to incomplete data set or are of a specialized nature such as school routes, service routes or limited schedules. These routes are: 151, 161, 214, 410, 411, 412, 430, 490, 499, 681 and 990. This chapter summarizes the analysis of existing operations (to September 2008) of Capital Metro’s routes, provides demographic data of the Austin area and includes background information from other agencies involved with public transportation in the region that are of interest to Capital Metro. Among the subjects covered in this document:

• Ridership by system and individual route • Service levels by system and individual route • Ridership productivity analysis • On-time performance analysis • Greater Austin demographics • Land use, housing growth and employment data • Comprehensive plans and transportation study reviews • Summary of Capital Metro customer comments • Appendix containing profiles of the bus routes

1.1 Service Provided As of January 2009, the Capital Metro transit system was comprised of 90 fixed routes serving the greater Austin metropolitan area. Service is operated under contract through one service partner – CARTS and three different service providers, First Transit, Star Tran and Veolia. Nineteen routes are designed specifically to serve the University of Texas and six routes provide night owl service to several communities from downtown Austin. Service is provided seven days per week with service reductions during the weekends and at night. Night service generally operates to 10pm or 11pm with night owl routes operating Tuesday through Sunday from about midnight to about 3:30am. The following exhibits provide information on data available for 79 routes through August 2008 with ridership information presented separate categories for regular, commuter/express, night owls and university routes.


Exhibit 1.0 – Regular Routes Summary

Route Revenue Hours

Weekday Boardings

Boardings per Trip

Boardings per Revenue Hour

1 291.8 14,912 84.2 51.1 2 37.1 951 12.0 25.6 3 147.1 4,761 48.6 32.4 4 48.4 1,707 21.6 35.3 5 91.5 2,280 29.2 24.9 6 37.4 1,034 16.2 27.6 7 130.5 7,725 59.4 59.2 9 44.8 865 19.7 19.3

10 137.4 5,047 53.1 36.7 17 80.3 3,399 22.4 42.3 18 29.0 695 11.1 24.0 19 41.6 710 16.1 17.1 20 94.4 4,641 49.9 49.2 21 34.0 835 27.8 24.6 22 32.6 765 29.4 23.5 23 13.4 243 7.1 18.1 29 16.4 193 6.0 11.8 30 33.0 760 14.0 23.0 37 68.8 2,619 30.5 38.1 201 12.2 310 7.0 25.4 202 3.0 36 2.0 12.0 240 23.4 493 12.6 21.1 243 21.3 420 8.3 19.7 300 115.4 6,356 55.7 55.1 311 42.1 1,360 18.8 32.3 320 72.4 2,062 34.4 28.5 325 43.1 2,304 31.1 53.5 328 40.2 863 14.8 21.5 331 61.8 3,066 31.6 49.6 333 76.8 2,023 28.1 26.3 338 56.1 1,504 21.7 26.8 339 51.6 1,367 27.4 26.5 350 91.0 2,829 38.2 31.1 383 52.2 1,325 24.0 25.4 392 38.3 661 13.2 17.3 450 63.4 820 2.9 12.9 451 33.2 762 2.6 23.0

Totals 2,307.0 82,703 Source: Capital Metro route profile summary report


Exhibit 1.1 – Commuter/Express Routes Summary

Route Revenue Hours

Weekday Boardings

Boardings per Trip


100 28.9 391 6.9 13.5 101 75 2,228 28.2 29.7 103 5.2 147 21.0 28.3 110 4.5 118 14.7 26.2 122 3.1 17 5.6 5.5 127 1.8 39 19.5 21.7 135 8.8 25 1.8 2.8 137 7.6 280 28.0 36.8 142 10.1 260 26.0 25.7 171 13.1 244 14.3 18.6 174 27.1 322 8.7 11.9 935 15.5 589 28.0 38.0 970 1 14 7.0 14.0 982 31.1 1,021 24.3 32.8 983 41.4 849 25.7 0.5 984 5.6 151 25.2 4.8 986 5.3 109 21.8 20.6 987 19.8 439 29.2 22.2

Totals 304.9 7,243 Source: Capital Metro route profile summary reports Exhibit 1.2 – Night Owl Routes Summary

Route Revenue Hours

Weekday Boardings

Boardings per Trip


481 5.6 122 9.4 21.8 482 1.3 21 3.5 16.2 483 1.8 52 6.5 28.9 484 2.3 45 7.5 19.6 485 3.3 30 4.3 9.1 486 2.8 53 7.5 18.9

Totals 17.1 323 Source: Capital Metro route profile summary reports


Exhibit 1.3 – University Routes Summary

Route Revenue Hours

Weekday Boardings

Boardings per Trip


640 FA 51.6 8,027 50.2 155.6 641 EC 30.6 1,605 7.4 52.5 642 WC 58.5 5,509 34.8 94.2 651 CR 51.4 1,166 5.7 22.7

652 PRC 22 326 6.4 14.8 653 RR 61.1 2,915 9.1 47.7 656 IF 74.7 4,441 13.9 59.5

661 FW 110.2 4,073 13.0 37.0 662 ER 49.3 1,000 5.3 20.3 663 LA 54.4 1,643 10.3 30.2 670 CP 81.2 3,458 12.8 42.6 671 NR 77.7 3,246 12.2 41.8 672 LS 40.8 1,084 7.4 26.6 675 WL 71.6 1,679 7.7 23.4

680 LS/NR 5.4 316 15.8 58.5 683 ER/LA 5.7 200 18.8 35.1 684 CR/RR 5.7 193 18.2 33.9 685 WL/CP 11.0 363 10.4 33.0

Totals 862.9 41,244 Source: Capital Metro route profile summary reports 1.1.1 Revenue Hours Capital Metro operates approximately 3,492 revenue hours each weekday for the 79 routes that were analyzed. Routes 1, 3, 7, 10, 300 and 661 FW provide the highest level of service in terms of service hours exceeding 100 hours per weekday while Routes 110, 122, 127, 202, 970 and night owls (except 481) provide less than five hours per weekday. The relative amounts of weekday service hours provided on each route are shown in Exhibits 1.4 through 1.7. Data is obtained from the Capital Metro route profile summary reports.


Exhibit 1.4 – Regular Routes Weekday Revenue Hours


Exhibit 1.5 – Commuter/Express Routes Weekday Revenue Hours


Exhibit 1.6 – Night Owl Routes Weekday Revenue Hours

Exhibit 1.7 – University Routes Weekday Revenue Hours


1.1.2 Ridership Weekday ridership on the 79 analyzed routes discussed here was about 130,560. Daily per route boardings ranges from over 14,000 on Route 1 to less than 100 on one regular route, six commuter/express routes, one university route and five out of six night owl routes. The distribution of ridership by route is displayed in Exhibits 1.8 through 1.11.


Exhibit 1.8 – Regular Routes Weekday Ridership

Capitol Metro Page 1-10 Chapter 1 - Existing Conditions January 2010

Exhibit 1.9 – Commuter/Express Routes Weekday Boardings

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500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

100 101 103 110 122 127 135 137 142 171 174 935 970 982 983 984 986 987

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Routes

Weekday Boardings by Commuter/Express Routes


Exhibit 1.10 – Night Owl Routes Weekday Ridership

Exhibit 1.11 – University Routes Weekday Ridership


1.1.3 Productivity and Effectiveness The weekday average boardings per revenue hour by route category were: 35.8 for regular routes, 18.9 for night owl routes and 47.8 for university routes. Productivity for the commuter/express routes category is measured in terms of passengers per trip with an average of 18.7 per trip. Weekday system productivity for each category is summarized in Exhibits 1.12 through 1.19 followed by Exhibits 1.20 through1.23 summarizing productivity by route category for Saturday and Sunday. Exhibit 1.12 – Weekday Regular Route Productivity in Rank Order

Route Boardings per Revenue Hour Rank

7 59.2 1 300 55.1 2 325 53.5 3 1 51.1 4

331 49.6 5 20 49.2 6 17 42.3 7 37 38.1 8 10 36.7 9 4 35.3 10 3 32.4 11

311 32.3 12 350 31.1 13 320 28.5 14 6 27.6 15

338 26.8 16 339 26.5 17 333 26.3 18 2 25.6 19

201 25.4 20 383 25.4 21 5 24.9 22 21 24.6 23 18 24.0 24 22 23.5 25 30 23.0 26 451 23.0 27 328 21.5 28 240 21.1 29 243 19.7 30 9 19.3 31 23 18.1 32 392 17.3 33 19 17.1 34 450 12.9 35 202 12.0 36 29 11.8 37


Exhibit 1.13 – Commuter/Express Route Productivity in Rank Order

Route Boardings per Trip Rank

987 29.2 1 101 28.2 2 137 28.0 3 935 28.0 4 142 26.0 5 983 25.7 6 984 25.2 7 982 24.3 8 986 21.8 9 103 21.0 10 127 19.5 11 110 14.7 12 171 14.3 13 174 8.7 14 970 7.0 15 100 6.9 16 122 5.6 17 135 1.8 18

Exhibit 1.14 – Night Owl Route Productivity in Rank Order


483 28.9 1 481 21.8 2 484 19.6 3 486 18.9 4 482 16.2 5 485 9.1 6


Exhibit 1.15 – University Route Productivity in Rank Order


640 FA 155.6 1 642 WC 94.2 2 656 IF 59.5 3 680 LS/NR 58.5 4 641 EC 52.5 5 653 RR 47.7 6 670 CP 42.6 7 671 NR 41.8 8 661 FW 37.0 9 683 CE/LA 35.1 10 684 CR/RR 33.9 11 685 WL/CP 33.0 12 663 LA 30.2 13 672 LS 26.6 14 675 WL 23.4 15 651 CR 22.7 16 662 ER 20.3 17 652 PRC 14.8 18


Exhibit 1.16 – Regular Routes Weekday Boardings per Revenue Hour


Exhibit 1.17 – Commuter/Express Routes Weekday Boardings per Trip


Exhibit 1.18 – Night Owl Routes Weekday Boardings per Revenue Hour

Exhibit 1.19 – University Routes Weekday Boardings per Revenue Hour

1.1.4 Saturday and Sunday Route Productivity Weekends, Routes 1, 7, 300, 325 and 331 are the top five regular routes in productivity based on boardings per revenue hour. These are the same routes that fall in the top five in productivity for weekday regular routes. Two of the three 400 series University of Texas routes (the E-Bus) experienced much higher productivity while the third performed better than fifth ranking regular route.


Exhibit 1.20 – Saturday Regular Route Productivity in Rank Order


300 51.7 1 1 50.5 2

325 47.8 3 331 47.3 4

7 42.0 5 20 41.5 6 17 39.4 7 2 36.1 8

10 34.7 9 37 31.6 10 4 30.8 11 6 30.1 12

339 29.5 13 451 29.5 14 320 28.0 15

3 27.5 16 333 27.5 17 383 26.7 18 338 25.5 19 311 25.3 20 350 25.2 21

5 23.2 22 30 21.9 23 328 20.6 24 201 16.5 25 18 16.3 26 21 15.8 27 22 14.0 28 243 13.7 29 392 13.4 30 19 12.7 31 23 12.1 32 100 11.9 33 450 11.4 34

9 9.4 35


Exhibit 1.21 – Saturday University Route Productivity in Rank Order


410 73.8 1 412 70.2 2 411 46.0 3

Exhibit 1.22 – Saturday Night Owl Route Productivity in Rank Order


483 33.1 1 484 24.9 2 481 21.3 3 482 19.0 4 486 18.4 5 485 9.5 6

Exhibit 1.23 – Sunday Regular Route Productivity in Rank Order


1 52.0 1 325 46.8 2 300 45.8 3

7 42.9 4 331 39.7 5 17 34.5 6 320 34.5 7

4 29.9 8 10 29.7 9 20 28.8 10 37 28.7 11 2 28.5 12 3 26.3 13

383 25.6 14 350 24.2 15 333 23.0 16 451 22.8 17

6 21.0 18 5 19.9 19

338 18.7 20 311 18.1 21 201 17.4 22 Table continues on next page.


30 16.9 23 328 16.5 24 22 13.6 25 18 13.5 26 243 11.7 27 392 11.1 28 100 10.9 29 21 9.2 30 450 9.0 31 23 8.4 32

1.1.5 On-Time Performance On-time performance data was collected by the Capital Metro APC system during the Fall 2008 service time period for 79 routes. The top five performing routes were Routes 2, 21, 338, 392 and 482. The bottom five routes were Routes 135, 970, 984, 986 and 987. The overall system-wide performance for the 79 routes was 52.0% on-time, 37.0% early and 11.0% late. This information indicates a significant percentage of routes operating early vs. operating late contributing to the very low percentage of routes operating on-time. It should be noted that this analysis does not discount early arrivals at the final timepoint, and thus somewhat overstates the on-time issue. Field checks verified this data, and confirmed consistent early running times. Exhibits 1.24 and 1.25 provide the on-time performance (on-time, early and late) for each route ranked in order of performance.


Exhibit 1.24 – On-Time Performance in Rank Order

Route On-Time Early Late Rank 2 84.9% 6.2% 9.0% 1

482 80.8% 19.2% 0.0% 2 21 74.5% 14.5% 11.0% 3 392 71.7% 20.1% 8.2% 4 338 71.2% 16.2% 12.6% 5 29 68.5% 10.1% 21.4% 6 311 66.7% 22.8% 10.5% 7 4 66.6% 15.0% 18.5% 8 6 66.0% 20.9% 13.1% 9 9 65.5% 24.2% 10.3% 10 18 64.5% 29.7% 5.8% 11 240 63.9% 30.5% 5.6% 12

651 CR 63.7% 31.7% 4.6% 13 656 IF 63.2% 32.8% 4.0% 14

451 62.9% 27.6% 9.6% 15 684 CC RR 62.8% 32.1% 5.2% 16 652 PRC 62.2% 19.3% 18.5% 17

383 62.0% 28.1% 9.9% 18 19 61.6% 13.5% 24.9% 19

683 ER LA 61.3% 24.5% 14.2% 20 100 60.4% 12.7% 26.9% 21 331 60.3% 26.9% 12.8% 22 325 59.8% 32.1% 8.1% 23 22 58.8% 29.9% 11.3% 24 30 58.5% 34.2% 7.3% 25 23 57.6% 26.4% 16.0% 26 5 57.2% 34.8% 8.0% 27

333 56.3% 37.6% 6.1% 28 640 FA 56.1% 38.6% 5.3% 29

481 56.0% 22.7% 21.3% 30 7 56.0% 33.3% 10.7% 31

328 55.8% 37.9% 6.3% 32 320 55.6% 34.3% 10.1% 33 339 55.6% 21.2% 23.3% 34 202 54.8% 43.8% 1.4% 35 201 54.8% 43.8% 1.4% 36 101 53.0% 45.5% 0.0% 37 3 53.0% 33.0% 14.1% 38 17 52.6% 36.4% 11.0% 39 Table continues on next page.


350 51.9% 38.7% 9.4% 40 485 51.7% 12.0% 36.3% 41 110 51.5% 26.1% 22.4% 42

642 WC 51.4% 39.8% 8.8% 43 300 51.2% 39.2% 9.6% 44

661 FW 50.8% 39.6% 9.6% 45 653 RR 50.3% 43.9% 5.7% 46

174 50.2% 32.2% 17.6% 47 680 LS NR 50.0% 38.1% 11.9% 48

663 LA 49.8% 45.5% 4.7% 49 685 WL CP 49.6% 43.3% 7.1% 50

1 49.4% 32.1% 18.5% 51 483 49.1% 50.9% 0.0% 52 243 48.7% 49.2% 2.1% 53 37 47.9% 41.3% 10.8% 54 127 47.8% 38.8% 13.5% 55 142 46.2% 37.8% 16.0% 56 20 46.2% 46.5% 7.3% 57 137 45.8% 28.3% 25.9% 58 122 44.5% 38.8% 16.7% 59

670 CP 44.3% 53.7% 2.0% 60 10 43.5% 45.9% 10.6% 61 484 43.5% 55.2% 1.3% 62 486 43.3% 45.8% 10.9% 63

671 NR 41.6% 50.9% 7.4% 64 982 39.3% 49.7% 11.0% 65 983 38.1% 54.2% 7.7% 66

672 LS 37.0% 58.0% 5.0% 67 103 35.8% 15.8% 48.4% 68

662 ER 35.6% 57.3% 7.1% 69 675 WL 35.3% 58.7% 6.0% 70

935 34.7% 46.9% 18.4% 71 171 34.0% 49.8% 16.2% 72 450 32.9% 54.8% 12.3% 73

641 EC 31.0% 65.1% 3.9% 74 986 30.1% 60.7% 9.2% 75 984 27.6% 68.7% 3.7% 76 987 22.5% 68.6% 8.9% 77 135 18.4% 70.2% 11.4% 78 970 3.3% 96.7% 0.0% 79

Average 51.5% 37.4% 11.1%


Exhibit 1.25 – On-Time Performance by Route

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20.0%

30.0%

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50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

On-T

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On-Time Percentage by Route


1.2 Assessing Background Conditions

This section summarizes current transit service needs, future demand and challenges based on a review of the origin and destination study, demographics information, goals and policies of comprehensive plans and customer comments. Origin and Destination Study Summarized here are significant findings from the Origin and Destination Study report produced by Creative Consumer Research in February of 2006. Demographic Information The demographics data provided here is derived from Census 2000 and includes an analysis of the area’s population age, income level, disability, the number of families with children and residents with no vehicle. Comprehensive Plan Review We reviewed the comprehensive plans and related reports from the county, cities and communities to understand land use and projected growth. Customer Comments A review of the customer comment log was conducted to determine any trends regarding customer requests for service or reports of significant service issues to resolve. 1.2.1 Origin and Destination Study During selected weeks in October, November and December 2005, Creative Consumer Research conducted intercept interviews with riders on the Capital Metro bus system in order to determine riders’ origins, destinations, and other demographic information. A sampling plan was developed based on 90% confidence level with a 5% margin of error for each major route in the system. For the survey, Capital Metro defined a major route that “in sum comprise 90% of weekday, Saturday, and Sunday ridership” with the remaining routes grouped for statistical analysis in achieving a good sample size. A minimum of 19,000 surveys were required as well as that the number of surveys on each route be proportionate to the ridership for the days on which the route operated and proportionate to the ridership for the time periods when the route operated. The Origin and Destination Study report of February 2006 indicates that the majority of rider’s origin and destination is their home. Riders are traveling to many different locations but predominately their riding activity is to and from work, college/university or for personal or recreational activities. Up to 80% of riders walk to reach the bus and their final destination while 12% transfer to reach the bus stop and 18% transfer to travel to their final destination. Only 3% drive to the bus stop by car and 2% use a bike. The average number of miles driven by car was 7.2 miles vs. 1.9 miles by bicycle. Most of Capital Metro’s customers, 66%, ride the bus at least five days a week correlating to the fact that 47% of the system’s customers do not have a car available and 71% of customers are unable to use a household vehicle. The largest age group of riders is ages 19 to 25 at 32% followed by the 26 to 39 age group at 28%. Seniors comprise only 2% of the ridership while the youth group is only 7%. Regarding income, 48% of Capital Metro customers indicated their annual income of less than $30,000 and those with household incomes of $60,000 or more was only 5% of the ridership.


When comparing the UT shuttle ridership with riders using only regular routes, UT riders tend to mainly travel by bus between home and school whereas regular route riders travel to many destinations. A much higher percentage of UT riders have a household vehicle available for use although UT rider’s household income is lower. Seventy two percent of UT riders are ages 19 to 25 with 46% of ridership using the UT service five days per week. 1.1.2 Greater Austin Demographics This section provides information regarding various demographic subjects as obtained from Census 2000, Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan and the Austin Chamber of Commerce covering the Greater Austin area. The demographic data provides a view of potential transit markets for Capital Metro. Population Growth Over the last fifty years Austin’s population grew by 35% to 41% every decade and doubled every twenty to twenty-five years. Over the last three decades Austin’s population increased by nearly 400,000 people. By the end of this decade it is estimated that the population growth will be between 115,000 and 140,000. The 1990s saw a 48% increase in the population with growth averaging 3.4% annually since the 2000 Census. Only four other metro areas experienced a greater growth of total net migration than Austin and estimates project that Austin will continue to be a top destination for migrating talent. The rate of population growth for the Austin metropolitan area has paralleled and outpaced that of the city. This is primarily due to the rapid suburban growth in Williamson Country and unincorporated areas of Travis County and, to a lesser extent, suburban and exurban growth in Hays and Bastrop Counties. The population of Austin and the surrounding area is expected to continue to grow. By 2035 there may be as many as 1.2 million people living in the city. By 2020 the population of the Austin metropolitan area is expected to increase to 2.3 million and by mid decade to 2.5 million people. The projected population for the metropolitan area is expected to reach three million people by the early 2030s. Exhibit 1.26 – Austin Metropolitan Service Area Population Growth

1980 1990 2000 2008 Percent Change

2000-2008

Austin MSA Total 585,051 846,227 1,249,763 1,652,602 32.2%

Bastrop County 24,726 38,263 57,733 73,491 27.3%

Caldwell County 23,637 26,392 32,194 36,899 14.6%

Hays County 40,594 65,614 97,589 149,476 53.2%

Travis County 419,573 576,407 812,280 998,543 22.9%

Williamson County 76,521 139,551 249,967 394,193 57.7%

Source: Austin Chamber of Commerce/US Bureau of the Census


Exhibit 1.27 – Austin Metropolitan Service Area Population Projections

2000 2010 2020 2030 2040

Austin MSA Total 1,249,763 1,712,647 2,292,737 3,030,478 3,958,933

Bastrop County 57,733 81,717 112,096 149,340 192,599

Caldwell County 32,194 38,724 45,622 51,469 55,752

Hays County 97,589 164,078 250,886 355,508 469,394

Travis County 812,280 992,773 1,168,738 1,336,648 1,498,569

Williamson County 249,967 435,355 715,395 1,137,513 1,742,619

Growth Rates Austin MSA 2000-2010 2010-2020 2020-2030 2030-2040 37.0% 33.9% 32.2% 30.6%

Source: Austin Chamber of Commerce/Texas State Data Center

As seen in Exhibit 1.28 on the next page, the two areas of the city with the highest concentration of population (16,001 to 20,000 people per square mile) are located in the area surrounding the University of Texas Campus (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, San Jacinto Blvd, 30th Street and Lamar Blvd) and along Riverside Drive where numerous multi-family housing complexes are located.

Population Density

The density in other areas of the city outside of downtown are generally 4,001 to 8,000 people per square mile with the downtown area very lightly populated at 0 to 4,000 people per square mile. Suburban areas vary from 0-4,000 and 4,001 to 8,000 people per square mile.


Exhibit 1.28 – Greater Austin Population Density


Nearly half of the region's population, 45%, is in the peak working years between the ages of 18-44. The highest concentrations of people age 65 and over are located in the neighborhoods east and north of downtown Austin. As shown in Exhibit 1.30, there are several pockets with the highest densities of 801 to 1,000 senior population per square mile which may indicate locations of adult and/or assisted living communities.

Population Age

Exhibit 1.29 – Austin Metropolitan Service Area Population by Age and Gender for 2007

Age Group Male Female Total 0-17 212,175 201,046 413,221 18-24 94,514 89,253 183,767 25-44 282,893 246,820 529,713 45-64 176,982 175,597 352,579 65+ 51,347 67,534 118,881

Total 817,911 780,250 1,598,161 Source: Austin Chamber of Commerce/US Bureau of the Census


Exhibit 1.30 – Greater Austin Population Density Age 65 and Over


There are very few areas in the Greater Austin area that have high concentrations of residents living at or below poverty level (8,000 to 12,000 people per square mile). The communities of population at or below the poverty level mimic the same two areas with the highest population density. Those two areas are the student housing area around the University of Texas Campus and the Riverside Drive area.

Low Income Population

There are several areas throughout the city with a moderate population density of 2,000 to 4,000 people per square mile living at or below poverty level. These areas are located just east of downtown between Rosewood Ave and E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; an area on the north side of Riverside Drive; a small area just northeast of the university campus, a community located within a triangle surrounded by IH-35, US 290 and US 183 to the northeast; a triangle between US 183 and Lamar Blvd; and a small community along Mopac between Spicewood Springs Road and North Hills Drive. The balance of the Greater Austin area shows a population of 0-2,000 per square mile living at or below the poverty level.


Exhibit 1.31 – Greater Austin Population Density Below Poverty Level


Persons with disabilities constitute an important market for public transportation services. For Capital Metro, the populations of people with disabilities are located throughout the city in nearly every neighborhood.

Disabled Population

There are pockets of high concentrations of total disabilities (2,701 to 3,600 or 3,601 to 4,500 per square mile) such as the Riverside Drive area; east of IH 35 between the river and about Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; the IH 35 – US 290 – US 183 triangle; Rundberg Lane and US 183 area; neighborhoods in the south central area surrounding Ben White Blvd; and along South 1st Street north of Lamar Lane. Those with ADA-eligible disabilities are generally served by ADA paratransit services. Exhibit 1.32 provides information on the distribution of the physically disabled population based on total disabilities for Greater Austin.


Exhibit 1.32 – Greater Austin Density of Disabilities


The density distributions of families with children for Greater Austin, according to Census 2000, are mostly 1,001 to 2,000 per square mile and generally are located in nearly every community surrounding downtown Austin as well as a few suburban communities. The areas with higher concentrations (2,001 to 3,000 per square mile) are further north and located along US 290, IH 35 and US 183 and south central Austin. The highest concentrations are at the US 183 and Lamar triangle and the south side of Riverside Drive.

Families with Children


Exhibit 1.33 – Greater Austin Population Density Families with Children under Age 18


Residents that do not own an automobile, tend to rely on public transit. For these residents, public transit represents one of the few transportation options for mobility. The areas with the highest rates of residents with no vehicle (1,201 to 1,500 per square mile) are mostly located in the areas surrounding the university campus and the areas located along Riverside Drive similar to the highest areas with low income and highest population density.

Residents with No Vehicle

Another area with a high concentration of residents with no vehicle (601 to 900 per square mile) is located east of downtown between Rosewood Ave and E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd which is also a low income area. Most communities, in and around the city, fall in the range of 0-300 or 301 to 600 housing units per square mile that do not have a vehicle.


Exhibit 1.34 – Greater Austin Population Density Housing Units without Vehicles


1.2.3 Land Use

Neighborhood planning is an opportunity for citizens to take a proactive role in the planning process and decide how their neighborhoods will move into the future. The process asks all members of the community to address the local issues and concerns that affect them, their families, and their neighbors.

City of Austin Neighborhood Planning

The City’s neighborhood planning process serves to update Austin Tomorrow and also complements the broader concept of Smart Growth. The neighborhood plans are reviewed by the Planning Commission and then adopted by the City Council as a formal amendment to Austin Tomorrow. Special use options available through the neighborhood planning process allow a greater diversity of housing types than currently found in many urban core neighborhoods. Neighborhood plans also identify locations for mixed use, where the addition of housing to a commercial corridor or node contributes to urban vitality and reduces sprawl. Exhibit 1.35 – City of Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas

Source: Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan


Austin’s Downtown is the largest employment center in Central Texas. It houses the State of Texas Capitol building, State of Texas offices, private sector offices, retail, and a growing residential population. Austin’s Central Business District is a collection of larger and smaller places that come together to form Downtown. Over the last three decades, a number of policies, ordinances, and initiatives have been enacted to address a wide range of issues across Downtown.

Downtown

The Downtown Austin Design Guidelines (2000) provided recommendations for all downtown development and redevelopment projects by both the public and private sector and directed City staff to continue developing a plan to integrate the Guidelines into the City of Austin’s overall project review process. The Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan designates downtown as a Priority One area for development. More information is provided under the “Downtown Austin Plan” found later in this document. Exhibit 1.36 – Downtown Austin Growth Management

Source: Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan


The area within Austin’s corporate boundaries has continued to increase. Since 1960 the City has grown by 433%. Prior to changes to State of Texas law in the 1990s, the City of Austin underwent extensive expansion through annexation. However, the City has continued to grow and was expected to expand to over 300 square miles during 2008. By 2010, Austin is estimated to grow by slightly more than nine square miles.

Changes in Land Area

Exhibit 1.37 – Austin’s Land Area (square miles) 1970 to 2007

Year Land Area 10 Year Land Area Change Percent

10 Year Land Area Change in Square Miles

1970 81.4 46% 25.6 1980 128.9 58% 47.5 1990 226.3 76% 97.4 2000 265.1 17% 38.8 2007 297.6 12% 32.5

Source: Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan Exhibit 1.38 – Greater Austin Future Land Use


Exhibit 1.39 provides data on the number of housing permits issued during 2007 providing insight on continued population growth for the Greater Austin area.

Housing Growth

Exhibit 1.39 – Residential Permits, 2007

Total Single-family units Multi-family units Austin MSA Total 19,903 12,120 7,783 Bastrop County 206 54 152 Caldwell County 30 30 0 Hays County 1,975 1,527 448 Travis County 12,021 6,602 5,419 Williamson County 5,671 3,907 1,764

Source: Austin Chamber of Commerce/Bureau of the Census

The next two exhibits provide lists of the largest employers. This information reflects the diversity of the workforce and potential transit markets. Source: Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Employment Demographics

Exhibit 1.40 – Greater Austin Employers with over 6,000 Employees

Company Description Austin School District Public Education City of Austin Government Dell Computer equipment mfg/sales – headquarters Federal Government Government IBM Corp Computer hardware & software R&D Seton Healthcare Network Health care – headquarters St. David’s Healthcare Partnership Health care - headquarters State of Texas Government University of Texas at Austin Higher public education

Exhibit 1.41 – Greater Austin Employers with 2,000 to 5,999 Employees

Company Description Advanced Micro Devices Semiconductor chip engineering/marketing/admin Apple Computer Computer maker technical & admin. support center Applied Materials Semiconductor production equipment mfg. AT&T Telecommunications (Hdq. of TX operations) Austin Community College Higher education, public Flextronics (formerly Solectron) Electronics mfg. & integrated supply chain services Freescale Semiconductor Semiconductor chip design & mfg.- headquarters Leander School District Public education

National Instruments Virtual instrumentation software & hardware mfg. & R&D - headquarters

Round Rock School District Public education Texas State University-San Marcos Higher education Travis County Government U.S. Internal Revenue Service Government (regional call & processing center)


1.2.4 Comprehensive Plan Reviews Research was conducted to review planning materials regarding public transportation of communities and government agencies in the Greater Austin area. The following is a summary of findings gleaned from various planning documents that are related to Capital Metro’s public transportation service area. City of Austin

In June 2008, the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan was updated including the goals, policies and objectives for Transportation Systems in Chapter 2 of the document. The comprehensive plan contains a number of policies that are very transit supportive. It provides for a goal to develop a balanced, safe and efficient surface transportation system by establishing a transit circulation system within the core area and other major activity centers and integrating it with the city-wide transportation system, increase passenger amenities to encourage transit use for commuter trips. Another goal is to develop an intra-city transit system serving all parts of the metropolitan area with high intensity service connecting major activity centers with less intense feeder and line-haul service and joining residential areas with the high intensity services. Additionally, policies contained in the plan encourage the development of core area transit terminal facilities restricting street use or access ramp use to high occupancy vehicles.

Transportation

To support light rail transit, the plan calls for creating districts promoting transit-oriented with denser development near rail stations as well as encouraging implementation of multi-modal transportation system including transit-ways, roadways, bikeways and pedestrian-ways. This is balanced by policies to encourage employers to implement alternative work schedules, and provide incentives to promote carpooling, transit and other non-motorized means of transportation to attract the choice rider as well as reduce air pollution.

Since 1960 the City has grown by 433%. In 2008, Austin was expected to expand to over 300 square miles. Although the changes in State law reduced the amount of land annexed, it created a more predictable process. By 2010, Austin is estimated to grow by slightly more than nine square miles.

Changes in Land Area

According to the comprehensive plan, Austin’s population increased by nearly 400,000 people during the last three decades and by the end of this decade it is estimated that between 115,000 and 140,000 more people will have been added to the City since 2000. The rate of population growth for the Austin Metropolitan Area has paralleled and outpaced that of Austin. This is primarily due to the rapid suburban growth in Williamson Country and unincorporated areas of Travis County and, to a lesser extent, suburban and exurban growth in Hays and Bastrop Counties.

Population

The population of Austin and the surrounding area is expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. By 2035 it is projected that 1.2 million people will be living in the city. The projected population for the metropolitan area is expected to top three million people by the early 2030s. Austin is much less dense than many comparable US cities. Austin has a gross density lower than larger Texas cities such as San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. The comprehensive plan states that City policy attempts to redirect development into already developed areas of the City, such as downtown and along major arterial roadways. However, when compared to the growth in the outer urban area, inner-city development is a small percentage of the total development in the City.


In response to future commuter rail service connecting the cities of Austin and Leander, the city is committed to focus growth around transit facilities through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The City's mission with respect to TOD is to create transit-supportive communities by optimizing the use of land around high quality transit and help Austin achieve some of its social, environmental and economic goals:

Transit Orientated Development

• Support publicly funded transit investments and enhance transit ridership • Create greater mobility choice through improved travel options (walking, bicycling, transit, etc.) • Decrease auto use and lessen the negative impacts of the automobile: contribution to traffic

congestion and air pollution, high household spending on transportation, consumption of fossil fuels, and excessive parking needs.

• Create interesting and active places to live, work and play • Improve the design quality of the built environment • Increase housing options suited to a mix of generations and incomes • Achieve healthier lifestyles due to increased walking and bicycling • Foster economic development, an enhanced tax base and the potential for revenue from public-

sector real estate assets • Increase the predictability and consistency of the development process

Austin’s TOD program is intended to make long-range coordinated transportation and land use decisions that will provide a variety of housing and mobility options and create places where people can live, work, shop, interact and recreate. The TOD Ordinance was adopted by the Austin City Council on May 19, 2005 to plan for development around future commuter rail stations. The plan consists of two phases. Phase I (now completed):

• Developed TOD districts around five future Urban Commuter Rail stations and one Bus Rapid Transit Park and Ride facility,

• Identified the TOD type for each station (to provide guidance for station area planning in phase 2),

• Identified Gateway, Midway, and Transition Zones, created a TOD base zoning district classification (for use when station area planning is complete),

• Identified interim development regulations relating to use, site development standards and parking for properties within a TOD district, (for phase 1, TOD district functions as an overlay district), and

• Established a station area planning process. Phase II, currently underway, is to conduct the station area planning processes for each TOD district.

The TOD ordinance established districts around future urban commuter rail stations that provide for development that is compatible with and supportive of public transit and a pedestrian-oriented environment.

TOD Districts


There are four types of TOD districts:

• Neighborhood center TOD - located at the commercial center of a neighborhood; lowest density of all classifications.

• Town center TOD - located at a major commercial, employment or civic center; moderate densities relative to other classifications.

• Regional center TOD - located at the juncture of regional transportation lines or at a major commuter or employment center; greater densities relative to other classifications but less than in a downtown TOD.

• Downtown TOD - located in a highly urbanized area; highest density of all classifications; allows for high-rise development.

TOD District Profiles

• Convention Center (downtown TOD) - Station Area Planning will be handled through a separate consultant-led downtown planning process

• Highland Mall (town center TOD) • Lamar Blvd/Justin Lane a.k.a. Crestview Station (neighborhood center TOD) • Martin Luther King Blvd (neighborhood center TOD) • Plaza Saltillo (neighborhood center TOD) • North IH-35 Park and Ride a.k.a. Tech Ridge (town center TOD) • Northwest Park and Ride a.k.a. Lakeline (town center TOD) • Oak Hill (town center TOD) • South IH-35 Park and Ride (town center TOD)

In September 2008, the Austin City Council appropriated funding for staff and a consultant to work with the public to create a new Comprehensive Plan for Austin. Three finalist consultant teams, chosen through a national Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, presented their approaches at the city council meeting Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009. The city council is now asking for the public’s input to find out what further information the community would like to know about the qualifications and experience of the RFQ finalists. The city council will use the suggestions to create a written list of questions that will be sent to the finalist teams, who will provide written responses for review on Marcy 27. After the consultants’ responses have been made available to the public, the council will hold another forum to gather public opinion on the consultants before making a final decision tentatively on April 23.

Comprehensive Plan Update

The Austin Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan (AMATP) is the long-range transportation plan for the City of Austin. It includes a roadway plan for the next 25 years. An update of the 2025 AMATP was adopted by the City Council on June 7, 2001.

Austin Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan

The AMATP is a long-range plan for transportation needs over the next 20 years. The AMATP is a multi-modal approach (includes public transit, bike and pedestrian paths, roadways, etc.) to transportation planning designed to mitigate projected congestion of the transportation network and increase mobility options for users.

The City of Austin has a corridor planning initiative with the first project on East 7th Street. The public outreach process started in 2004. The program is the effort to reestablish or enhance corridors as the physical and cultural pathways that link people to each other, to local institutions, and to daily

Corridor Planning


destinations while improving access for pedestrians, vehicles, transit, and bicycles. No additional information was available regarding status or future corridors. Downtown Austin Plan In December of 2005, the Austin City Council initiated the Downtown Austin Plan to develop a community vision for Downtown including planning for rail and bus transit routes and stations and integrating Downtown planning with the transit-oriented development planning area around the Convention Center. Phase One, creating the ‘Framework’, completed in early 2008, was followed by Phase Two, ‘Implementation’, including developing strategies and processes to proceed with the high-priority components of the plan indentified in Phase One. In November 2008, the Draft Transportation Framework Plan was issued with a component addressing public transportation integration with the project. Significant issues include a proposed initial phase 15.3-mile streetcar project to connect Downtown with significant Central City destinations (Capitol Complex, UT, Mueller, ABIA, Long Center); concentrating transit on specific streets to provide priority routes, more predictability and more convenient transfers between routes and modes. According to the report, West 3rd and West 4th streets, Congress Avenue, and San Jacinto Street would become rail streets and major north-south bus routes would be consolidated along Lavaca and Guadalupe streets, while major east-west routes would run along Seventh, Fifteenth and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The report also recommends that recently revised ‘Dillo routes provide a circulator function, accommodating the short trips within and across the Downtown and when streetcar service begins, the ‘Dillo could be adjusted to loop in a clockwise configuration to increase transit coverage in the Downtown core. It is recommended that efficient and convenient transfer connections between bus routes, ‘Dillo and rail service be provided in Downtown. The report discusses the merits of a dedicated intermodal terminal vs. an on-street transfer station. Due to land and capital expenses as well as potential routing deviations that would be required with a dedicated facility, the report recommends utilizing the on-street transfer center approach. The report concluded with two key recommendations: 1) establish transit priority streets and 2) work with Capital Metro to develop an on-street bus transfer system that will also allow bus-to-rail transfers. CAMPO – Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Williamson, Travis and Hays Counties in central Texas. The purpose of CAMPO is to coordinate regional transportation planning with counties, cities, Capital Metro, the Capital Area Rural Transportation System, TxDOT and other transportation providers in the region and to approve the use of federal transportation funds within the region. The two main products of CAMPO are the Long Range Transportation Plan (20+ years), the CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan (specifying a set of investments and strategies to maintain, manage, and improve surface transportation) and the short range program, the Transportation Improvement Program.

The CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan of June 2005 predicts a higher population forecast than in the previous plan; the need to make future transportation investments stretch further by improving the efficiency of the transportation system through transportation system management, travel demand management, and a more integrated approach to land use and transportation planning; and an increased reliance on innovative sources of funding, including vehicle tolling, to supplement the existing gas tax.

Mobility 2030 Plan


Major projects recommended by the plan include:

• An interregional passenger rail system connecting Austin and San Antonio; • A regional transit system, including an urban commuter rail line connecting Leander to

Downtown Austin, 10 new rapid bus lines, and 10 new or expanded express bus lines; • 1,014 additional lane miles of freeways, parkways, or toll ways • 4,358 additional lane miles of arterial roadway capacity; • Approximately $237 million in stand-alone bicycle and pedestrian projects; • Corridor studies to evaluate potential future projects in 12 critical corridors throughout the region

CAMPO is working with the public and regional partners to develop the ‘2035 Growth Concept’ plan to help coordinate future transportation and land use planning in the region.

Regional Growth Concept

Forecasts indicate that in 2030 congestion in the region will be worse than it is today if current growth trends continue despite investing about $23 billion on roadway and transit improvements and operations. The 2035 Regional Growth Concept will help to preserve regional quality of life in the face of continued high growth rates. After the adoption of the ‘CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan’ in June 2005, alternative future growth patterns are being analyzed for 2035 that would improve transportation and regional quality of life and integrate the information from the Envision Central Texas (ECT) scenario planning effort. The ECT preferred development pattern focuses future population growth in walkable activity centers within existing communities and distributes employment growth more evenly throughout the region. The 2035 Regional Growth Concept will look at ways to encourage development of future activity centers. The revised draft CAMPO Regional Growth Concept of May 2007 incorporates public input that was received. After the Transportation Policy Board endorses the draft concept, local jurisdictions, transportation service providers and others throughout the region will be invited to join CAMPO in implementing the growth concept plan. The document contains a summary of public transportation projects including projected costs and descriptions.

According to the CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan of June 2005, by the year 2030, the three county region is predicted to be home to approximately 2.75 million people, more than double the 2000 population. Employment in the region is also expected to more than double, bringing the number of jobs in the region to nearly 1.5 million by 2030.

2030 Regional Population and Employment Forecast

Exhibit 1.42 – Population and Employment Forecast

2000 Census 2007 2017 2030 Percent Change from 2000

Population 1,160,000 1,463,000 2,027,000 2,750,000 +137% Employment 646,000 793,000 1,071,000 1,467,000 +127%

Source: CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan, June 2005

While a larger number of people and jobs will be added to Travis County over the 30- year period, Travis County’s overall share of regional jobs and population is expected to decline due to high growth rates in Williamson and Hays Counties. In 2030, 68% of the region’s jobs are expected to be located in Travis County, while 55% of the region’s population will live in the county. Over time, jobs and population will become more balanced throughout the region. However, in 2030 many residents of the region will still

2030 Population and Employment Forecast by Subarea


have to commute long distances to get to work. Exhibit 1.43 shows the forecasted change in population and employment in each of the three counties between 2000 and 2030. In general, the greatest concentration of jobs will continue to be found in central Austin, along major transportation corridors in northern Travis County and southern Williamson County, and in San Marcos. The fastest growing parts of the region in terms of population are expected to be the area around Georgetown and Hutto and northern Hays County. Exhibit 1.43 – Job/Population Forecast by County

Source: CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan, June 2005


Every four years, CAMPO is responsible for developing a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the area. The TIP includes: 1) A priority list of projects and project segments to be carried out within each 4-year period after the initial adoption of the transportation improvement program and 2) A financial plan that demonstrates how the transportation improvement program can be implemented, indicates resources from public and private sources that are reasonably expected to be made available to carry out the plan, and recommends any innovative financing techniques to finance needed projects and programs, including value capture, tolls, and congestion pricing.

Transportation Improvement Program

The TIP for FY 2008 - 2011 was adopted by the CAMPO Board on February 12, 2007, and is currently in effect and incorporated into the Texas Department of Transportation's FY 2008 - 2011 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which was approved October 2007. CARTS - Capital Area Rural Transportation System CARTS is a public transit agency serving the counties of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, and non-urbanized areas of Travis and Williamson with transportation tailored specifically for each of the one hundred and sixty-nine communities it serves. The agency operates scheduled service throughout the service areas and to destinations outside of the service area ranging from fixed route city service, commuter bus service to Austin, intercity service and paratransit community orientated service.

In January 2007, CARTS issued a final report of the Williamson County Public Transportation Planning Study. CARTS, Williamson County, and participating municipal jurisdictions in Williamson and Travis Counties initiated a study of the feasibility of improving transit services. This study focuses on all of Williamson County except Round Rock and Leander, but includes the City of Pflugerville in Travis County. The City of Leander receives transit services, since it is a member of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro). The City of Round Rock is independently studying transit alternatives for implementation.

Transportation Study

The primary goal of the final report was to develop a Five Year Plan that includes a comprehensive regional approach to the planning and development of public transit service and appropriate infrastructure in Williamson County and Pflugerville. The plan addresses service needs over the next five years. The major service recommendations, per the final report, contain an array of services based on the needs of the community including local city routes, regional/commuter routes, ADA paratransit service, vanpool, carpool services and new Pflugerville and Cedar Park service. According to Appendix A of the report, as part of the urbanized region surrounding Austin there is a wide range of planning activities that could affect CARTS and the study area. This study identified various planning activities in the region to determine how they fit together. The entities identified as performing important studies and planning activities having an impact on public transportation include Capital Metro, City of Round Rock, CAMPO and TxDOT. The studies in particular include Georgetown Transportation Study, Williamson County Transportation Plan (CARTS), Economic Development Efforts and Transit Multi-Modal Centers for Georgetown and Taylor.

The Regional Transit Coordination Committee (RTCC), composed of transportation stakeholders in the Capital Area, developed the 2006 Regional Transportation Coordination Plan to provide a seamless transportation system and identify opportunities to enhance transportation services. The plan assigns

2006 Regional Transportation Coordination Plan


CARTS as the point of contact and liaison between the Interagency Working Group and the RTCC/Administrative Lead Agency to provide administrative support and facilitate analysis and implementation of the following action items:

• Investigate the feasibility of a single point consumer access program to provide central dispatching for the region and one point of contact for transit customers to call for services

• Coordinate formal rural transit and intercity bus interline relationships to provide effective feeder services enabling seamless transfers between rural and intercity bus service

• Implement and expand of use of an automated fare card system to include more transit providers • Develop and implement a uniform cost allocation model for agencies and providers in the region

Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District (ASAICRD) The Austin – San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District (ASAICRD) is composed of elected and private sector officials representing CAMPO, San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Capital Metro of Austin, VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, CARTS, Alamo Rural Transit as well as representatives of small cities, the business community and the general public. Their mission is to link the Austin-San Antonio corridor with commuter rail service. The approximately three million people living along the study corridor between Georgetown and San Antonio depend on Interstate Highway 35 (IH-35) as a major thoroughfare. By the year 2020, the population along this 110 mile stretch of highway is expected to nearly double while continuing to serve as a major and growing North American trade route. For the length of the highway, from Canada to Mexico, the highest levels of fatalities, the worst congestion, the slowest average speed per mile, the lowest levels of service, and the most air pollution occur in the Austin-San Antonio Corridor To address the issues affecting IH-35 and accommodate future growth, the ASAICRD is working with communities along the corridor to:

• Determine the feasibility of commuter rail passenger service within the existing Union Pacific Corridor that parallels IH-35 between Georgetown and San Antonio. Regularly scheduled passenger trains would stop at a number of stations between Georgetown and San Antonio. The service would connect the internal transit and transportation systems of Austin, San Antonio and other Corridor cities to take passengers to their desired locations.

• Shifting some of Union Pacific’s through-freight operation into a new, more efficient corridor east of State Highway 130, now under construction to the east of IH-35.

• Informing the communities along the Corridor and seeking input on the project • Studying the feasibility of commuter rail • Evaluating the costs and benefits of passenger rail service • Coordinating with Union Pacific • Developing project funding alternatives • Developing a preliminary work plan

Envision Central Texas Envision Central Texas (ECT) is a non-profit organization composed of a diverse group of citizens, including neighborhood, environmental, business leaders and policy makers serving as a catalyst for regional cooperation and planning in order to realize a common ‘Vision for Central Texas’. ECT’s goal is to improve how the area grows in order to sustain the region’s quality of life and competitiveness. The focus of the ECT is on what, where and when building occurs, and how that impacts natural resources and mobility.


To help achieve this goal, the ECT Program of Work for 2009 is divided into six elements: a major initiative focusing on creating critical infrastructure in a time of limited resources; public education, engagement and outreach; seeking opportunities for advocacy; creating tools and resources to accomplish the regional vision; measuring progress toward the regional vision and working with implementation committees and task forces. According to the ECT’s 2009 work plan, the “ECT will continue to fulfill its critical role of educating and engaging the citizens and governmental leaders of Central Texas in an ongoing dialogue about the challenges of rapid growth, the benefits of regional cooperation and the opportunities to shape our region’s future. ECT will also seek opportunities to advocate for positive steps toward the vision.” Additionally, the 2009 work plan includes prioritizing rail initiatives to “help educate the public about the emerging rail initiatives of Capital Metro and the Austin-San Antonio Inter-municipal Rail District and examine opportunities for advocacy.” Austin Community College The Austin Community College District (ACC) Master Plan for 2009-2011 was updated in July 2008. In relationship to public transportation, the plan focuses on campus expansion, new locations and additional parking needs. The plan briefly discusses options to reduce peak demand at all campus locations, through scheduling, and by greater use of transportation alternatives such as public transportation, bicycles, carpooling, etc should be considered. This includes considering remote parking for existing campuses. It is projected that by 2015 an additional 630,000 people will impact the State’s higher education system with most new students from traditionally underserved populations. For Central Texas, this may translate into an estimated 60,000 additional students with most students attending community college. Some of the Master Plan components that may impact public transportation include: adding a fifth weekend college, expanding summer youth and bridge programs, building new campuses at Round Rock by 2010 and later at San Marcos, expand existing campuses at Rio Grande, Riverside, Eastview, Northridge, Pinnacle and Cypress Creek. University of Texas at Austin Agency Strategic Plan for the 2001-2005 Period

Oak Hill Combined Neighborhood Plan

The strategic plan developed in 2000 was the only document available. There were no components in the plan relative to public transportation.

Work on the Oak Hill Combined Neighborhood Plan after began after the October 2005 Austin City Council resolution launched the program. The goal was to define how the southwest part of Austin will grow by providing a framework that includes everything from the network of streets, parks, public resources to commercial centers and transportation. The Oak Hill Combined Neighborhood Planning Area is located in southwest Austin and comprises two neighborhood planning areas, East Oak Hill and West Oak Hill, for the purposes of creating one comprehensive plan. The plan was adopted in December 2008 and is an amendment to the City of Austin’s Comprehensive Plan and a component of The Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan.


Chapter 7 of the combined neighborhood plan provides a framework and discussion of public transportation needs for the community. The stated goal in the plan is “Provide safe, convenient, comfortable, and timely public transportation”. The report references Capital Metro’s All Systems Go long range plan as including local bus service connections for Oak Hill residents with major employment, retail, and civic centers.

Transportation and Infrastructure

The following summarizes the public transportation needs identified for the Oak Hill area:

• Increase bus service south of US 290 between Mopac and FM 1826. • Provide weekend service to Brodie Oaks, Barton Creek Mall, downtown, Wal-Mart, Target and a

future Town Center. • Provide a route on Southwest Parkway with a stop at Mission Oaks (Travis Country

neighborhood). • Provide better and more frequent service on US 290 for resident living north and south of US 290

to access the future Town Center. • Extend the flyer route hours, increase frequency and add midday trips. • Install a pair of bus stops near Monterey Oaks & US 290 West Frontage Road. • Explore potential circulator routes for greater connectivity with assisted living and retirement

communities, libraries, the YMCA and major employment centers (All Systems Go includes bus service serving Freescale and AMD employment centers and feeder routes serving the future Oak Hill Park and Ride area).

• Add more bus stops and shelters such as at Slaughter Lane & FM 1826, Breezy Pass & Convict Hill (with route extension), the county courthouse, the Town Center and for multi-family housing complexes on Old Bee Caves Road.

The report outlines several challenges in regards to expanding bus service and facilities such as:

• US 290 Frontage Road is difficult to serve due to high speeds and poor access. • Southwest Parkway is not conducive to local service due to lack of sidewalks. • Travis County has limited roadway connectivity options and low density housing. • Slaughter Lane & FM 1826 requires improvements to be a bus stop location. • Old Bee Caves Road is narrow with a one-lane bridge and requires widening.

Capital Metro System Capital Metro serves a 500 square mile area including the communities of Austin, Jonestown, Lago Vista, Leander, Manor, San Leanna and parts of Travis and Williamson counties. The system carries the highest per capita ridership in the state with 34 million annual boardings. Fixed-route bus service is provided with a fleet of 400 buses complimented with ADA paratransit service, vanpools and special event shuttles. With the rise in gas prices, demand has grown considerably. To meet the public transportation needs of the Greater Austin area, Capital Metro embarked on an ambitious long-range planning process with direct community involvement to develop an enhanced public transportation system. This program is called “All Systems Go!”.

“All Systems Go provides an opportunity to cut through Austin's traffic congestion and help ensure that our city's communities remain great places to live, work and play. The plan addresses the pressures of regional population growth in the Greater Austin area, estimated to double in the next 25 years. Thousands of citizens have helped create the plan, which includes Capital MetroRail, Capital

“All Systems Go!”


MetroRapid, expanded Local and Express bus services, more Park & Ride locations and possible future regional commuter rail services in Central Texas.”1

While Capital Metro’s mission states: “We provide quality public transportation choices for our community that meet the needs of our growing region” this is enhanced by the vision to double ridership by 2025 through the All Systems Go program. The targeted strategic results of the All System Go program include: exceeding the expectations of new and existing customers; using resources efficiently to provide a financially sustainable future; and building mutually beneficial relationships providing a seamless, cost-effective operation and a transit supportive region. Capital MetroRapid bus service (bus rapid transit or BRT) is planned for 10 corridors with a starter line along the North Lamar and South Congress corridor. MetroRapid will utilize modern, train like buses operating more frequently and providing travel times up to 20% faster with the help of a transit signal priority system while serving specially designed sheltered stops with real-time electronic next bus information. When completed by 2030, Austin will be served by 133 miles of modern MetroRapid bus service providing more east-west service and providing downtown area traffic relief. Capital MetroRail commuter train service is scheduled to start operation in 2009 or later between Leander and downtown Austin serving nine stations (the Red Line). New trains will offer comfort with high-back seats, bicycle racks, luggage bins and Wi-Fi connections. Service will be provided every 30 minutes during peak-periods using six diesel-electric trains with a capacity of 200 riders each. Additional midday service is planned for the future with interim service provided by buses. Expansions to the system (from Manor and beyond and new lines) will require a referendum for funding. Two new park and ride facilities, Tech Ridge and Leander, have opened. Future plans include a park and ride for Oak Hill and South Austin as well as a transit center in the south central Austin area. Future plans include enhancements to bus routes in order to provide better circulation and connectivity. Circulator service will provide faster access to major destinations with more frequent connections with rail stations. Through the community involvement process, a central city streetcar system is being considered but will require a referendum for funding. Bus services are expected to double over the next 20 years on local and express routes to provide service to outlying communities and more cross-town routes connecting suburban employment areas and park and ride facilities. This includes upgrading bus stops with new shelters, benches and information. With a mix of downtown, crosstown, feeder routes and express services, easier access to more activity and employment centers will improve regional mobility and increase ridership. Capital Metro is working with the Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District, TxDOT and other transportation agencies to study potential commuter rail service connecting Georgetown, Round Rock, Kyle/Buda, San Marcos, New Braunfels and San Antonio. The rail system under study would operate along Mopac on Union Pacific tracks and is expected to help ease congestion on IH-35 as well as improve freight mobility and spur economic development in the Austin-San Antonio corridor. The Rail District has applied for federal funding for design, engineering and construction of the rail system. 1.2.5 Customer Comments Review The summary logs from the customer comment system for 2007 and 2008 were reviewed for trends and issues reported to the agency. There were no notable trends for specific service requests however there

1 All Systems Go! Capital Metro Web Site


were a number of requests for shelters and/or benches and new bus stops. Although Route 3 generated more requests for shelters or benches than other routes (at various locations) overall the requests were for locations system wide. New bus stop request again were for locations system wide, the routes with the most requests were 10, 37, 171 and 333 at various locations. For trash cans, the most requests for locations along Route 3 with a number of locations system wide. Regarding service related comments, Routes 101, 103, 110 received a number of comments in the category of overcrowding followed by Routes 3, 7 and 10. The most significant routes with overcrowding complaints were Routes 935 and 982. Most general service comments were received regarding a variety of issues on Routes 1, 19, 37, 333 and 935. No particular trend was noted except there were several comments regarding needing later night and better Sunday service. Several service requests were received as follows:

• Service to Bowie & Slaughter • Service south of Slaughter on Manchaca • Service for the Del Valle area and De Valle High School • More direct service between north and south Austin with no downtown stops • Routes utilizing Loop 360 between north and south areas • Service further west on Bee Caves Road • Service to Concordia University

A few complaints were received regarding the changes implemented on ‘Dillo routes and Routes 5, 9, 10, 240 and 311 including the merging of 20 and 26. The most notable comments were protests regarding proposed changes to Route 171. 1.3 Route Profiles The following section summarizes the operating characteristics of every Capital Metro route. Productivity, span of service, and observations regarding the operations are documented.


Route 1 North Lamar/South Congress

Route Description Route Statistics

Route 1 provides all day local service between north Austin at Tech Ridge Park & Ride and south Austin at Southpark Meadows or Bluff Springs via N Lamar Blvd, the university, the capital, downtown and S Congress Ave. It provides service to several activity centers ranging from shopping centers to schools and parks transit centers as well as several single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. It serves an array of businesses along the length of the route. Ridership on Route 1 is about 51.1 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 42.4 per hour vs. 62.3 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 52.8 per hours vs. evening and night trips at 47.2 and 38.1 per hour respectively.

Riders 2008 Weekday 14,912 2008 per Rev. Hour 51.1 2008 per Trip 84.2

Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 11-12 Weekday Base 11 Evening 20 Saturday 15 Sunday 25 Service Span Weekday 4:57A – 1:00A Saturday 4:51A – 12:43A Sunday 6:34A – 11:03P

Service Provided 2008 Wkdy Rev. Hrs 291.8 2008 Weekday Trips 177

Route 1 is actually two routes overlaid (Route 1L and Route 1M) that separate from each other serving different areas. In the north, nearly ½ of the route serve is split with the route legs serving different and separated communities but rejoining and sharing a common terminal. On the south segment, the routes split and travel short distances ending at different terminals with one leg acting more like a turnback.

The Route 1 corridor is also served by Route 101 Limited from about 6am to 6pm. This route makes fewer stops to provide a faster trip. During the midday, Route 101 operates a shortened version between South Congress Transit Center and North Lamar Transit Center. A portion of the south segment from William Cannon Dr to Slaughter Lane is duplicated by Route 201. In the north end, the route operates a very large one way loop with the terminal located about midway along the loop.

The segment between Oltorf and North Lamar Transit Center are very active with boardings and alightings. The outer segments appear to more of origin and destination in nature.

This is a very long route that is 86.7% on-time ranking 36 out of 51 routes measured. Also, utilizing the same route number, although distinguished by a letter, may be confusing to some riders.

Rout


Route 2 Rosewood


Route 2 provides all day local service between east Austin, downtown and the capital. It provides service to several activity centers ranging from shopping centers to schools and parks as well as several single family neighborhoods. Ridership on Route 2 is about 25.6 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


This ridership on this route is orientated towards traveling to and from downtown. Boarding activity is highest along Rosewood and Oak Springs with activity at Airport Blvd indicating transfers with Route 350.

Each end of the route operates as a one-way loop. The eastern end operates a live-loop around a single family neighborhood and westbound in downtown the route stops short of completing the loop.

Peak hour ridership may not warrant 20-minute peak service.

Riders 2008 Weekday 951 2008 per Rev. Hour 25.6 2008 per Trip 12.0

Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 20 Weekday Base 30 Evening 60 Saturday 38 Sunday 38 Service Span Weekday 5:33A – 11:38P Saturday 6:08A – 10:56P Sunday 7:03A – 10:26P


Rout


Route 3 Burnet/Manchaca


Route 3 provides all day local service between north Austin Arboretum Market, and south Austin at Slaughter via downtown and the capital. The main corridors it serves are Burnet Road, Guadalupe Street, S Lamar Blvd and Manchaca Road. It provides service to several activity centers including shopping centers, business centers, medical centers to schools and parks as well as J.J. Pickle Research Center, several single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. Ridership on Route 3 is about 32.4 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is consistent along the full length of the route with peak activity in the downtown area at the northern terminal and at major transfer points.

This route is interlined with Route 10 on Slaughter at the southern end and continues non-stop northbound on S 1st Street.

There are service duplications as follows: peak-hours with Route 103 on Lamar and Manchaca, limited service Route 151 on Burnet, Route 174 on Burnet north of Research Blvd and Route 392 on Braker. Route 652 PRC also provides service between the university and the research center.

Route 3 avoids the traffic on Guadalupe adjacent to the UT campus by utilizing neighborhood streets.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 21 Weekday Base 24 Evening 30-60 Saturday 30 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 5:01A – 12:54A Saturday 5:11A – 11:49P Sunday 5:59A – 10:15P


Rout


Route 4 Montopolis


Route 4 provides all day local service between west Austin and Austin Community College at Riverside via downtown and 7th Street. It provides service to several activity centers including Austin High School, shopping districts and single family neighborhoods. Ridership on Route 4 is about 35.2 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is consistent along the route east of downtown. Activity west of downtown is minimal by comparison. However, Austin High School shows significant activity. Otherwise, the major origins and destinations are downtown and the community college.

Route 4 duplicates Route 21/22 west of downtown.

Peak ridership loads may not warrant 20 minute frequency.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 7-22 Weekday Base 30 Evening 60 Saturday 40 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 5:03A – 11:54P Saturday 5:30A – 11:43P Sunday 6:25A – 9:37P


Rout


Route 5 Woodrow/South 5th


Route 5 provides all day local service between North Cross Transfer Center in north Austin and Westgate Mall in south central Austin via the university, capital and downtown Austin. The main corridors it serves are Woodrow Ave, Bouldin Ave and 5th Street. It provides service to several activity centers including shopping districts, medical centers, public schools, recreational centers, single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. Ridership on Route 5 is about 24.9 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is consistent along the length of the route. Activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown and the university from either the north segment or south segment. The destinations of North Cross Transfer Center and Westgate Mall at each end of the route are also popular origins and destinations.

Route 656 IF duplicates service along Speedway, although Route 5 does not go through campus on San Jacinto.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 30 Evening 30 Saturday 40 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 5:12A – 12:24A Saturday 5:11A – 11:54P Sunday 6:29A – 10:36P


Rout


Route 6 East 12th


Route 6 provides all day local service between downtown Austin and Techni Center in east Austin. The main corridors it serves are W 11th Street and E 12th Street. It provides service to several activity centers including the capital, public schools, recreational centers, single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. Ridership on Route 6 is about 27.6 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is consistent along the length of the route. Activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown. Major transfer points and Techni Center also generate boarding activity. Most activity is west of 12th Street and Springdale with light activity in the most eastern segment.

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Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 24 Weekday Base 36 Evening 60 Saturday 35 Sunday 35 Service Span Weekday 5:34A – 12:19A Saturday 5:19A – 11:29P Sunday 6:59A – 10:23P


Rout


Route 7 Duval/Dove Springs


Route 7 provides all day local service between Highland Mall in north Austin and Bluff Springs in south Austin via the university, capital and downtown Austin. The main corridors it serves are Duval Street, Riverside Drive, Parker Lane and Woodward Street. It provides service to several activity centers including shopping districts, medical centers, public schools, recreational centers, business centers, single family neighborhoods and several multi-family complexes. Selected trips are scheduled to serve Mendez Middle School, serving portions of Route 333, when school is in session. Ridership on Route 7 is about 59.2 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is stronger on the southern portion of the route than the northern portion. In the northern route portion, there is a strong orientation to UT. Route 7 travels through campus on San Jacinto.

The major transfer points and the destinations of Highland Mall and Bluff Springs at each end of the route are also popular origins and destinations due to connections with other routes and shopping.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 15 Weekday Base 16 Evening 31 Saturday 24 Sunday 32 Service Span Weekday 4:55A – 12:02A Saturday 6:00A – 12:09A Sunday 6:16A – 10:31P


Rout


Route 9 Enfield-Travis Heights


Route 9 provides all day local service, except at night, between SE Austin and NE Austin via downtown and the capital. It provides service to several activity centers ranging from shopping centers to schools and parks including Austin Community College at Rio Grande. Ridership on Route 9 is about 19.1 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. The southern segment of the route experiences the most activity. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 20.0 per hour vs. 21.0 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 18.0 per hours vs. evening trips at 16.0 per hour.

Boarding activity is highest between the South Congress Transit Center and W Lynn St and 12 St while the segment of the route west and north of W Lynn St has the lowest boardings per service hour and much lower demand for service compared to the southern segment of the route.

This route appears to be two completely separate markets with different service level needs. The segment northwest of downtown Austin is overserved by existing service levels.

Route 662 ER duplicates service along Enfield and Routes 20/21 duplicate Route 9 on Exposition.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 40 Weekday Base 50 Evening 40 Saturday 50 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 5:43A – 8:49P Saturday 5:53A – 8:46P Sunday No service


Rout


Route 10 South 1st / Red River


Route 10 provides all day local service between north Austin at Rundberg Lane, and south Austin at Slaughter via downtown, the capital and the university. The main corridors it serves are Georgian Drive, Airport Blvd, Red River Road, and South 1st Street. It provides service to several activity centers including Hancock Center, Highland Mall, recreational centers, business centers, medical centers public schools, parks, several single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. Ridership on Route 10 is about 36.7 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity stronger on the southern portion of the route. Peak activity is in the downtown area as well as at major transfer points.

This route is interlined with Route 3 on Slaughter at the southern end and continues non-stop northbound on Manchaca Road.

There are route deviations including North Plaza neighborhood peak-hours, Day Labor Facility on selected trips. The southbound routing from Highland Mall operates via Middle Fiskville.

Route 110 provides a peak hour overlay on Route 10 on South 1st Street. Route 10 duplicates Route 653 RR on Red River Road.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 21 Weekday Base 24 Evening 30-60 Saturday 30 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 4:37A – 12:50A Saturday 5:19A – 12:29A Sunday 6:10A – 10:27P


Rout


Route 17 Cesar Chavez


Route 17 provides all day local service between east Austin and downtown Austin serving a single family neighborhood along E Cesar Chavez Street and E 2 Street. It provides service to several activity centers ranging from industrial businesses, health centers and the Capital. Ridership on Route 17 is about 42 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Most segments of the route experiences healthy boarding activity with a decline along the eastern segment where the route operates a large one-way loop. Route Characteristics


Ridership on this route is mainly focused for travel to and from downtown Austin with most boarding and de-boarding activity occurring west of Pleasant Valley Road.

The majority of Route 17 has at least one other local route operating on the same segment. Ridership is good, although 12 minute service may not be warranted, particularly on the eastern portion of the route.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 12 Weekday Base 12 Evening 40-60 Saturday 26 Sunday 26 Service Span Weekday 4:46A – 11:41P Saturday 5:15A – 11:16P Sunday 6:16A – 10:33P


Rout


Route 18 Martin Luther King


Route 18 provides all day local service between downtown Austin and Techni Center in east Austin. The main corridor it serves is Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. It provides service to several activity centers including the capital, recreational centers and single family neighborhoods. Ridership on Route 18 is about 23.9 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is consistent along the length of the route. Activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown. Major transfer points generate boarding activity.

Westbound, Route 18 operates a deviation just after the terminal via Northdale Drive and Oldfort Hill. Route 6 and 18 provide service duplication to Techni Center.

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Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 25 Weekday Base 25-35 Evening 60 Saturday 30 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 5:15A – 11:57P Saturday 5:43A – 11:10P Sunday 6:33A – 9:23P

Service Provided 2008 Wkdy Rev. Hrs 29 2008 Weekday Trips 63

Rout


Route 19 Bull Creek


Route 19 provides all day local service between downtown Austin and North Cross Transfer Center in north Austin. The main corridors it serves are Balcones Drive, Mesa Drive and Steck Avenue. It provides service to several activity centers including the capital, the university, public schools, shopping centers, recreational centers, medical centers, multi-family complexes and single family neighborhoods. Ridership on Route 19 is about 17.1 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. There is no Sunday service. Route Characteristics


The boarding activity on the segments between MLK/Rio Grande and Jefferson/35th are particularly weak. The highest activity levels are in downtown Austin and northwest portion of the route (between Far West and Northcross Mall)

This route meanders throughout northwestern Austin. Westbound, it operates a deviation via Harris Blvd on selected trips. Portions of Route 19 are duplicated by Route 151 along Jefferson Street and Bull Creek Road and Route 339 between Balcones Drive and Northland Drive and Greystone Drive and Wood Hollow Drive as well as Route 661 FW at the Village Center area.

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Rout


Route 20 Manor Road/Riverside


Route 20 provides all day local service between north Austin at Crystal Brook Drive, and south Austin at Austin Community College Riverside via downtown, the capital and the university. The main corridors it serves are Manor Road, Red River Road and Riverside. It provides service to several activity centers including Delco Center, recreational centers, business centers, medical centers, public schools, parks, several single family neighborhoods and multi-family complexes. Weekday ridership on Route 20 is about 49.2 passengers per revenue hour. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is particularly strong at both route ends and downtown.

Route 20 does not pass directly through UT’s campus.

Midday productivity and passenger loads indicate potential warrants for improved frequency.

There are service duplications peak-hours with Route 7 on Riverside Drive and Route 4 to the community college and Route 23 and Route 37 at Crystal Brook.

The following university routes also serve the Riverside Drive area: 670 CP, 671 NR, 672 LS, 675 WL, 680 LS/NR and 685 WL/CP.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 21 Weekday Base 32 Evening 30-60 Saturday 32 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 4:28A – 1:07A Saturday 5:52A – 12:33A Sunday 6:00A – 10:23P


Rout


Route 21 Exposition/Chicon


Route 21 provides all day local circulator service around and through downtown Austin and the University via a clockwise loop. It is a companion route to Route 22 that operates in the opposite direction. This route serves a number of activity centers including schools and colleges, medical centers, markets and shops, the convention center and senior center. During this route’s circulation through central Austin, it provides connections with numerous north/south operating routes providing easy transfers to access downtown and other activity centers. Ridership on Route 21 is about 24.6 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Similar to Route 22, the busiest boarding activity for this route is between 2 Street and Trinity and Exposition and Lake Austin, the downtown area, as well as Guadalupe and 29 St and Martinez and E 2 St encompassing the university and medical centers. Ridership along Exposition is not strong.

Route 4 duplicates service in west Austin between Austin High School and downtown.

Route 662 ER and Route 663 LA duplicate service in the Lake Austin and Exposition areas.

Route 21 takes its layover at the RBJ Center, which is a significant destination, but it also means that anyone travelling between downtown and Holly Street has a significant wait at RBJ.




Rout


Route 22 Exposition/Chicon


Route 22 provides all day local circulator service around and through downtown Austin and the University via a counter clockwise loop. It is a companion route to Route 21 that operates in the opposite direction. This route serves a number of activity centers including schools and colleges, medical centers, markets and shops, the convention center and senior center. During this route’s circulation through central Austin, it provides connections with numerous north/south operating routes providing easy transfers to access downtown and other activity centers. Ridership on Route 22 is about 23.5 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Similar to Route 21, the busiest boarding activity for this route is between Martinez and E 2 St and Guadalupe and 29 St encompassing the university and medical centers followed by Exposition and Lake Austin to 3 St and San Jacinto, the downtown area.

Route 4 duplicates service in west Austin between Austin High School and downtown.

Route 662 ER and Route 663 LA duplicate service in the Lake Austin and Exposition areas.




Rout


Route 23 Johnny Morris


Route 23 provides all day local feeder service connecting several housing developments with trunk routes. A shopping center and employment area are also served. The shopping and medical facilities are a primary destination on this route. Weekends, it provides service to the Travis County State Jail via a route deviation. The route provides access from the various neighborhoods to main line routes to continue travel to other destinations. Ridership on Route 23 is about 18.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


Two early morning short run trips provide service for the neighborhood on Regency and Craigwood to the employment area on Techni Center. The first trip showed 2 boardings while the second trip had 8 boardings.

Overall the route is convoluted by design due to the many deviations to serve the internal areas of single family housing developments located off the main arterials.

Portions of this route are duplicated by Route 20 and Route 37.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 23-65 Weekday Base 60 Evening 60 Saturday 60-75 Sunday 60-65 Service Span Weekday 5:19A – 9:23P Saturday 6:26A – 9:24P Sunday 7:26A – 10:00P


Rout


Route 29 Barton Hills


Route 29 provides all day local service connecting the Barton Hills area and several recreational centers with downtown Austin and the university. No weekend service is provided. Ridership on Route 29 is about 11.8 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


The route operates via a large one way loop through the Barton Hills area intersecting the center of a large single family housing area in the southbound direction while returning north through a less dense area of housing and green space.

The ridership of this route is university orientated as the destination of the majority of the riders from Barton Hills is the northern terminal, 21 St and Whitis, at the university.

The loop operation may be inconvenient for some riders.

The southbound alignment through downtown is indirect and inconveniences more riders than it helps.

Riders 2008 Weekday 193 2008 per Rev. Hour 11.8 2008 per Trip 6

Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 38-73 Weekday Base 67 Evening 68 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 6:01A – 9:17P Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 30 Barton Creek Square


Route 30 provides all day local service between downtown Austin and Barton Creek Square in southwest Austin. The main corridors it serves are Barton Spring Road and Walsh Tarlton Lane. It provides service to several activity centers including the capital, shopping centers, recreational and event centers, and sparsely populated single family neighborhoods. Ridership on Route 30 is about 23.1 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown. The Barton Creek Square Mall also generates significant activity.

Route 30 duplicates Route 29 between Zilker Park and downtown.

This route operates through lightly populated areas as well as through the Barton Green Belt.

Every trip makes a one-way deviation through the Spyglass/Wallingford loop to serve both residential and commercial locations.




Rout


Route 37 Colony Park/Windsor Park


Route 37 provides all day local service between downtown Austin and Colony Park in northeast Austin. The main corridors it serves are Loyola Lane and Cameron Road. It provides service to several activity centers including the university and capital, Hancock Center, medical centers, shopping centers, event centers, and single family neighborhoods. Weekday ridership on Route 37 is about 36.1 passengers per revenue hour. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown with off and on activity along Cameron Road.

Route 137 provides a peak hour overlay on Route 37. Segments of this route are also duplicated by Route 20 and Route 23.

Route 37 provides service to the I-35 frontage road between 15th and Cameron. The stops between 15th and Dean Deaton are lightly used.

Some trips are designated to deviate via the Day Labor Facility at 51st Street.

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Rout


Route 100 Airport Flyer


Route 100 provides all day limited stop service between the university, capital, downtown Austin and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. It makes limited stops in the downtown area and at the airport. Ridership on Route 100 is about 13.6 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from downtown with off and on activity at the university and several downtown stops.

For an airport orientated service, boardings are low overall.

Route 100 provides an express overlay for Route 4 along 7th Street.




Rout


Route 101 North Lamar/Congress Limited


Route 101 provides all day limited stop service between north Austin at Tech Ridge Park and Ride and south Austin at Bluff Springs via the university, the capital and downtown. It makes limited stops along N Lamar Blvd, in the downtown area and along S Congress Ave. Midday service operates between the North Lamar Transit Center and the South Congress Transit Center. There is no night or weekend service. Ridership on Route 101 is about 29.7 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 23.3 per hour vs. 11.0 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 34.9 per hours vs. evening trips at 5.9 per hour.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the university and downtown stops with consistent off and on activity at most stops along the length of the route. The UT campus is the area where loads consistently peak.

Route 101 provides a peak hour overlay for Routes 1L and 1M. Travel time on Route 101 is only marginally better than Routes 1L and 1M, despite running limited stop.

Note: data provided is based on 79 trips instead of 91. Data was not available for 12 pm trips.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 20 Weekday Base 15 Evening 20 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 5:33A – 7:11P Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 103 Manchaca Flyer


Route 103 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between south Austin at Slaughter and Manchaca and the university via the capital and downtown. There are four morning inbound trips and three afternoon outbound trips. Route 103 makes no stops on Manchaca and Lamar between Stassney and 5th Street. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ between certain segments of the route depending on direction. Ridership on Route 103 is about 28.3 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 31.9 per hour vs. 28.4 during the PM peak-period. Evening trips decline to 17.7 per hour.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the university and downtown stops with consistent off and on activity at most stops along the length of the route.

Route 103 is a peak hour overlay on Route 3 north of William Cannon Drive (except during the non-stop segment).

This route provides the only service to an outlying residential area south of William Cannon along Seminary Ridge Drive and Curlew Drive.

Route 103 has a circuitous southbound routing through downtown Austin that inconveniences more passengers than helps.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 20-30 Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday Peak-periods Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 110 South Central Flyer


Route 110 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between south Austin (S 1st Street and Great Britain) and the university via the capital and downtown. It makes no stops on S 1st Street between Ben White and Barton Springs. There are three morning northbound and two afternoon southbound trips. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ between certain segments of the route depending on direction. Ridership on Route 110 is about 26.3 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 26.9 per hour vs. 25.3 during the PM peak-period.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the university and downtown stops with consistent off and on activity at most stops along the length of the route.

Route 110 provides a peak hour overlay on Route 10 north of Great Britain Blvd (except during the non-stop segment).

The 7:38 a.m. northbound trip carries fewer passengers than all other trips.

This route provides the only service to an outlying residential area west of S 1st St on Great Britain Blvd and United Kingdom Drive. Route 110 has a circuitous southbound routing through downtown Austin that inconveniences more passengers than helps.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday Peak-periods Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 122 Four Points Limited


Route 122 provides reverse peak-direction flyer service between East Austin, downtown Austin, and the Lakeline Station. It is an in-service deadhead route. It serves the 3M Company on FM 222. Ridership on Route 122 is about 5.4 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 6.1 per hour vs. 8 during the PM peak-period. The evening based trip declines to 1.6 per hour.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel towards Lakeline in the morning and to Austin in the evening.

Route 122’s ridership is weak, but it is generating ridership on what would otherwise be an empty deadhead trip.


Service Frequency Weekday Peak 1 am; 2 pm

trips Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday Peak-periods Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 127 Dove Springs Flyer


Route 127 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between south Austin at Bluff Springs and the university via the Capital and downtown with one northbound morning and one southbound afternoon trip. It makes no stops between Stassney & IH-35 and Cesar Chavez & Trinity. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ between certain segments of the route depending on direction. Ridership on Route 127 is about 21.8 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the university and downtown stops.

The maximum load on the morning trip is 14 passengers – the afternoon maximum load is 13 passengers. Neither is high enough to support limited stop service.

Route 127 provides service to outlying residential areas and duplicates Route 7 along Pleasant Valley Road and Route 333 crosstown route on Blue Meadow Drive.


Service Frequency Weekday Peak 1 a.m. pk trip

1 p.m. pk trip Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday Peak-periods Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 135 Dell Limited


Route 135 provides peak-period, reverse peak-direction limited stop service between E 7th St & Pleasant Valley Road (east of downtown Austin) and Tech Ridge Park and Ride via Airport Blvd and IH-35. There are eight northbound trips in the morning and eight southbound trips in the late afternoon. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Buses make limited stops along Airport Blvd and no stops along IH-35. Ridership on Route 135 is about 2.9 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 4.5 per hour vs. 1.2 during the PM peak-period with the evening based trips at 1.7 per hour. Boardings per trip are very low.

Any boarding on these trips is a “bonus” as Route 135 is an in-service deadhead route.




Rout


Route 137 Colony Park Flyer


Route 137 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between northeast Austin at Loyola Lane & Colony Park and downtown via the university and the capital. It makes no stops while traveling on IH-35. Other non-stop segments, if any, are not noted in the passenger schedule. Ridership on Route 137 is about 36.9 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the downtown stops with activity at Loyola Lane & Manor Road and Briarcliff Blvd & Berkman Drive due to transfer connections with other routes. Passengers are also using this route for other non-downtown locations as there is boarding and de-boarding activity along segment of the route east of IH-35.

Route 137 provides a peak hour overlay on top of Route 37. There are very few stops that are not duplicated.




Rout


Route 142 Metric Flyer


Route 142 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between northern Austin at Parmer & Metric and downtown via Rundberg/Lamar, the university and the capital. It makes no stops while traveling on IH-35 and limited stops between 15th Street and 11th Street. There are four morning southbound trips and four afternoon northbound trips. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ between certain segments of the route depending on direction. Ridership on Route 142 is about 25.7 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the downtown stops. Passengers are also using this route for other non-downtown locations along Rundberg Lane.

Route 142 duplicates Route 325 on Rundberg and Route 1M along Metric Blvd.

This route provides the only service to an outlying residential area north of Parmer Lane & Metric Blvd along Lamplight Village Ave and Rampart Street. The last northbound trip at 6:05 p.m. carries significantly less trips than any of the other trips.




Rout


Route 171 Oak Hill Flyer


Route 171 provides peak-period, peak-direction flyer service between southwestern Austin at Silver Mine Drive & Hwy 71 and the university via Oak Hill Park and Ride, downtown and the capital. It makes no stops while traveling on Mopac Expressway and William Cannon Drive. Some trips operate a shortened route between Oak Hill Park and Ride and San Jacinto & Dean Keeton. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Ridership on Route 171 is about 18.7 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the downtown stops. The most significant boarding activity is at Oak Hill Park and Ride with minimal activity in the area west of the park and ride.

This route provides the only downtown orientated service for Oak Hill Park and Ride and the outlying residential to the west on Scenic Brook Drive. Some deadhead trips are operated in-service between US 290 & Old Fredericksburg and Silver Mine & Hwy 71 and are counted in the statistic.




Rout


Route 174 North Burnet Limited


Route 174 provides all day limited stop service, except at night, between downtown Austin, the university and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center via the North Lamar Transit Center. During the midday, service is provided only for the north segment between the medical center and the transit center. No weekend service is provided. Ridership on Route 174 is about 11.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during the AM peak-period are 12.2 per hour vs. 13.3 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 13.3 vs. evenings at 7.2 per hour.

The most significant ridership is over the north segment of the route between North Lamar Transit Center and the medical center. The transit center generates the largest boarding and de-boarding activity with rider’s destinations to the north and then returning to the transit center.

The ridership productivity south of the North Lamar Transit Center is almost half of the northern route segments. The south segment is lightly utilized and does not appear to be able to support this limited stop service.

This route duplicates portions of Route 240 at the transit center, along Burnet Road and in the medical center area.

This route appears to serve different markets with different service level needs.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 40-45 Weekday Base 60 Evening 43 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 5:40A – 8:01P Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 201 Southpark Meadows


Route 201 provides all day local feeder service connecting Akins High School with other main line routes. A shopping center and transit center are also served. Saturdays, service is provided to Akins High School from about 7am to noon. Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, buses travel between Bluff Springs and South Meadows only (Turk at Cullen). Ridership on Route 201 is about 25.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are generally consistent throughout the day ranging from 21 to 24 per service hour. However, the highest boardings are during the PM peak-periods of 35 boardings per service hour.

Akins High School, located in a remote location, is the destination of Route 201 riders. The route mostly travels past undeveloped areas, on the freeway and follows a portion of Route 1. The route connects with other main line routes at Bluff Springs, South Meadows (Turk at Cullen) and at Slaughter and 1 St. Aside from Akins High School, those transfer points generate the other notable boarding activity indicating riders are connecting with other routes.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 40 Weekday Base 40 Evening 40 Saturday 30-40 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 5:47A – 8:46P Saturday 7:00A – 7:22P Sunday 7:00A – 7:22P


Rout


Route 202 Battle Bend


Route 202 provides bi-directional peak-period local feeder service connecting the Battle Bend neighborhood with several trunk routes at the South Congress Transit Center. No weekend or off-peak service is provided. Ridership on Route 202 is 11.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Only two passengers per trip are carried on average. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are consistent between AM peak and PM peak.

The route operates via a one way loop through the neighborhood and has no other traffic generators. It serves as a peak-period feeder service route from a low density neighborhood to access main line routes. The high ridership on S. Congress at Sheraton suggests that many residents in the area are walking to S. Congress to catch Route 1 instead of using Route 202.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 6:20A – 6:20P Saturday No Service Sunday No Service


Rout


Route 240 Parkfield


Route 240 provides all day local feeder service between the N. Lamar Transit Center and St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. En-route it serves several public schools, Austin Community College at Northridge and employment centers such as IBM. In addition, a number of single family developments are served by Route 240 along Parkfield, Braker, Amherst and Parmer. No weekend or night service is provided. Ridership on Route 240 is 21.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are better during peak-periods than off-peak periods. Peak-period boardings per service hour range from 25 to 29 vs. an off-peak range of 14 to 19 per hour.

This route duplicates portions of Route 174 at the transit center, along Burnet Road and in the medical center area. Also, Route 240 and Route 392 share the same path on Braker Lane. North Lamar Transit Center is the major boarding and de-boarding point of this route where it connects with other services. The neighborhoods along Parkfield appear to generate the most boarding activity for any given area north of the transit. Beyond Parkfield and Braker, the medical center is a destination for Route 240 riders.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 45 Weekday Base 40 Evening 45 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 5:16A – 7:22P Saturday No Service Sunday No Service


Rout


Route 243 Wells Branch


Route 243 provides all day bi-directional local feeder service between the Long Vista business park and the Tech Ridge Park and Ride. En-route it serves numerous single family housing developments and a few multi-family developments. Ridership on Route 243 is 19.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are consistent throughout the day (about 19 to 22 per hour) except for evenings and nights when there is a decline (about 14 to 16 per hour).

The route serves a dual purpose. It is designed to take commuters from the Tech Park and Ride in the morning to the Long Vista business park and back in the afternoon. The other purpose is for travel in the opposite direction by collecting commuters from the various single family neighborhoods to the Tech Park and Ride for connections with main line and commuter routes. Commuter boarding activity is highest from the neighborhoods along Wells Branch and Thermal which are closest to the park and ride. Further north, the route operates in a one way loop for the neighborhoods along Shoreline, Bratton and Merrilltown and also travels to the Long Vista business park before completing the loop. This can mean a longer rider for some commuters returning home in the afternoon.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 25-35 Weekday Base 60 Evening 60 Saturday 60 Sunday 60 Service Span Weekday 4:56A – 10:41P Saturday 5:58A – 9:58P Sunday 6:58A – 8:58P


Rout


Route 300 Govalle


Route 300 provides all day local north/south crosstown service between Oltorf & Burton and North Lamar Transfer Center via Pleasant Valley/Riverside, Springdale Road, Coronado Hills and Highland Mall. This route travels through many single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments from end to end. Some areas are lightly populated due to green space. Intermixed are shopping centers, public schools, community college, business centers and industrial type activity. Ridership on Route 300 is 55.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity along this crosstown route is consistent along its whole length with peak activity at major transfer points and shopping centers. Extra trips are provided when school is in session. Route 300 and Route 350 duplicate service between Highland Mall and North Lamar Transfer Center. Routes 320 and 339 also serve areas currently served by Route 300. The south terminal loop is large with heavy ridership. Many riders are forced to wait through a layover before completing the loop.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 15 Weekday Base 21 Evening 33 Saturday 20 Sunday 23 Service Span Weekday 4:48A – 12:00A Saturday 5:18A– 12:22A Sunday 7:01A – 10:17P


Rout


Route 311 Stassney


Route 311 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between Nuckols Crossing and Monterey Oaks via Stassney Lane. It serves several public schools, shopping centers while providing connections with numerous north/south routes. Stassney Lane is mostly comprised of single family neighborhoods along most its length with a few multi-family developments and several small businesses. Ridership on Route 311 is 32.3 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during PM peak-period is 45 per hour vs. 33 to 34 during the AM peak-period and midday. Evenings decline to 23 per hour and nights decline significantly to 12 boardings per service hour.

Ridership is strong at virtually every transfer point. The busiest portion of the route, in terms of total boardings, is between Stassney and Congress and Nuckols Village, the eastern segment. The busiest stops in both directions are at Westgate, Manchaca, 1 Street and at Congress where transfer connections are available to and from main line north/south routes.




Rout


Route 320 St. Johns


Route 320 provides all day local north/south crosstown service between HEB at Riverside and Highland Mall traveling through many single family neighborhoods for most of the route. In addition, it serves a variety of activity centers including a number of public schools, shopping centers, health centers, libraries, museums and employment centers while providing connections with numerous east west routes. Ridership on Route 320 is 28.5 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are varies throughout the day with nights the lowest. AM peak-period experiences much higher boardings per service hour than PM peak-period at 30 vs. 21. Midday is the most productive time period at 39 boardings per service hour, which suggests a more social service type orientation rather than job access.

The busiest portion of the route, in terms of total boardings, is between Fiesta-Hancock (IH-35) and Highland Mall, the most northern segment. Route 320 has a multitude of twists and turns through East Austin. Both Routes 300 and 320 provide service from Pleasant Valley to Highland Mall. Route 320 duplicates service with several different routes, including Route 300 in Pleasant Valley, 17 on 2nd Street, Route 21/22 on Chestnut/Cherrywood, Route 37 on Cameron, and Route 300 and 339 on St. Johns.




Rout


Route 325 Ohlen


Route 325 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between Rutherford Lane Wal-Mart and Northcross Transfer Center via Rundberg Lane and Ohlen Road. This route travels through many single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments from end to end. Intermixed are shopping centers, public schools, business centers and industrial type activity. Ridership on Route 325 is 53.5 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


The segment between Northcross Mall and 183 is significantly weaker than the remaining segments. The Wal-Mart stop is strong, but there is more than a 1.5 miles of non-productive route to get there. Extra trips are provided when school is in session.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 30 Evening 30 Saturday 25 Sunday 25 Service Span Weekday 4:55A – 11:27P Saturday 5:00A– 10:15P Sunday 7:20A – 10:02P


Rout


Route 328 Ben White


Route 328 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between Travis County Precinct 4 and Barton Creek Square Mall via Woodward Street, Ben White Blvd and Capital of Texas Hwy. This route travels past single family neighborhoods and multi-family housing developments from end to end. Intermixed are shopping centers, medical centers, St. Edwards University, public schools, business centers and industrial type activity. Service to Travis County Precinct 4 on Burleson Road is provided on most weekday trips and very limited weekend trips. Buses turnback at Fredrich & Woodward when not serving the Precinct. Route 328 is interlined with Route 30 at Barton Creek Square Mall. Ridership on Route 328 is 21.5 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


Productivity along Burleson between Ben White and Travis County Precinct 4 is significantly lower than the rest of the route. Portions of this route may not be accessible due to the roadway (Ben White Blvd and Capital of Texas Hwy).


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 40 Weekday Base 40 Evening 40 Saturday 45 Sunday 45 Service Span Weekday 5:30A – 11:57P Saturday 5:47A– 10:28P Sunday 6:30A– 10:41P


Rout


Route 331 Oltorf


Route 331 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between Austin Community College at Riverside and Westgate Mall via Oltorf Street and S Lamar Blvd. This route travels through a few single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments. Intermixed are shopping centers, medical centers, Travis High School and business centers. Ridership on Route 331 is 49.6 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


The middle segment of Route 331 between Lamar and Congress is extraordinarily productive. The segment west of Lamar – where Route 331 duplicates Route 338 – is the least productive. Route 331duplicates service on part of Oltorf with Route 9.




Rout


Route 333 William Cannon


Route 333 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between the Salt Springs and Austin Community College at Pinnacle or Oak Hill Shopping Center via William Cannon Drive. Service is also provided at certain times by deviation to the Travis County Precinct Office on Hwy 71 and to the single family neighborhood at Onion Creek and Pleasant Valley This route serves many single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments for most of the route as well as several shopping areas and business districts. Route 333 does not serve ACC on Sundays. Ridership on Route 333 is 26.3 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour vary throughout the day with nights the lowest. PM peak-period is the most productive time period at 32 boardings per service hour vs. 27 for AM peak-period and midday. Evenings and nights drop to 22 and 12 boardings per hour respectively.

Boarding activity along this crosstown route is highest in the middle segment between Bluff Springs and Manchaca. Bluff Springs experiences the most significant activity due to connections available with several main line routes. The stops at Manchaca and 1st Street on William Cannon are also significant boarding locations due to connections with north/south routes (Routes 10 and 1). The Bluff Springs stop introduces significant out of direction travel to Route 333. It is, however, the highest ridership stop. The route turns over more than two thirds of its ridership at that location. The schedule is interesting to read as several deviations take place only during certain times of the day.




Rout


Route 338 Lamar/45th


Route 338 provides all day local north/south crosstown service between Hancock Center and West Gate Blvd & Liner Drive in south Austin via Lamar Blvd and Westgate Mall. It is one of the few north/south routes that do not travel through downtown Austin. This route travels through several single family neighborhoods, mainly south of Westgate Mall. Most of the route serves shopping centers, medical centers and business centers. Portions of N Lamar Blvd are less developed or limited access. Ridership on Route 338 is 26.8 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


Ridership levels are relatively consistent through all segments. There is peak activity at major transfer points and shopping centers. Route 338 duplicates service on potions of S Lamar Blvd with Route 3 and Route 331.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 30 Evening 30 Saturday 39 Sunday 38 Service Span Weekday 5:00A – 12:25A Saturday 5:09A– 12:05A Sunday 5:57A – 10:07P


Rout


Route 339 Walnut Creek - Koenig


Route 339 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between the main post office and Northcross Transfer Center traveling through many single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments for most of the route. Route 339 does not serve the main post office Saturdays and there is no Sunday service. In addition, it serves a variety of activity centers including the main post office, several business parks and shopping centers, while providing connections with numerous north/south routes. Ridership on Route 339 is 27.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour varies throughout the day with nights the lowest. PM peak-period is the most productive time period at 34 boardings per service hour vs. 25 for AM peak-period and 32 for midday. Evenings and nights drop to 17 and 12 boardings per hour respectively.

Boarding activity along this crosstown route appears to be highest in the middle to east segment between Highland Mall and Wal-Mart. The north western segment between Northcross Transfer Center and Koenig and Lamar has the lowest boarding activity for the whole route. This route is confusing for a user to understand as it meanders through multiple locations with no clear destination.




Rout


Route 350 Airport Blvd


Route 350 provides all day local north/south crosstown service between the Travis County Correctional Complex and Northcross Transfer Center via Austin-Bergstrom Airport, Airport Blvd and Highland Mall. This route travels through many single family neighborhoods and several multi-family housing developments from end to end. Intermixed are a number of small business centers and industrial type activity. Ridership on Route 350 is 31.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are highest throughout the day with declines during the evening and night time periods. PM peak-period is the most productive time period at 39 boardings per service hour vs. 31 for AM peak-period and 35 for midday. Evenings and nights declines to 21 and 10 boardings per hour respectively.

Boarding activity along this crosstown route is very busy between the airport and Highland Mall. The lowest segment, at 22 boardings per service hour, is between the airport and the correctional center. This is likely due to a long segment on Highway 71, where no stops are possible. Route 350 doubles back to serve ACC-Riverside instead of taking a more direct route. The majority of the ridership east of ACC-Riverside seems to transfer at ACC-Riverside, suggesting the Airport/Correctional Complex ridership is headed to downtown. There are some points with higher activity such as the ACC-Riverside, Airport Blvd and Oak Springs, Highland Mall and North Lamar.




Rout


Route 383 Research


Route 383 provides all day local north/south service between Northwest Park and Ride at Lakeline Station and North Lamar Transfer Center via US 183, Arboretum and Great Hills Trail. This route travels through suburban single family developments and lightly populated areas. The route serves shopping centers, medical centers, business centers park and rides and Westwood High School. Ridership on Route 383 is 25.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics


The primary ridership pattern is collecting passengers to and from the North Lamar Transit Center. The route uses frontage roads for 183 through much of its route, which limits access points for passengers. Route 383 duplicates both Route 3 and 392 near the Arboretum.




Rout


Route 392 Braker


Route 392 provides all day local east/west crosstown service between the Pavilion Park and Ride and Tech Park and Ride via Braker Lane serving several public schools, J.J. Pickle Research Center, and Arboretum. Weekends, service operates to Arboretum only with no service to Pavilion Park and Ride and along Jollyville Road. This route travels through several single family neighborhoods in the eastern segment with a mix of neighborhoods and businesses along Braker Lane. There are a few multi-family housing developments along Jollyville that is not served weekends. The western segment serves mostly businesses and shopping areas. Ridership on Route 392 is 17.3 passengers per revenue hour overall, which is one of the lowest crosstown route productivities. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are consistent throughout the daytime with declines during the evening and night time periods. PM peak-period is the most productive time period at 19.5 boardings per service hour vs. 16 for AM peak-period and 18.8 for midday. Evenings and nights declines to 13.9 and 10.4 boardings per hour respectively.

No stretch of Route 392 stands out as being significantly more productive than another. Route 392 duplicates Route 383 north of the Arboretum.




Rout


Route 450 Congress ‘Dillo


Route 450 provides north/south circulator service in downtown Austin traveling along Congress Ave between Barton Springs Road and 11th Street. This route serves numerous downtown activity centers and provides transfer connections with regular east/west routes. The north end of the route operates a one-way clockwise loop from 11th Street to 17th Street via Lavaca and San Jacinto. Several downtown hotels are served providing visitors and residence frequent access to popular destinations such as the History Museum, One Texas Center, the capital and law center, county courthouse, state offices, visitor centers. On the first Thursday of the month the route is extended south from Barton Springs Road to SoCo Shopping area. Ridership on Route 450 is 13.2 passengers per revenue hour overall. The number of passengers per trip is very low, at 2.9. Route Characteristics

Boarding activity is minimal along the route from end to end with a scattering of activity on Congress Avenue.

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 8.3 per hour vs. 14.8 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 14.3 per hours vs. evening at 12.1 and nights at 14.0 per hour. Route 450 duplicates multiple regular local routes traveling along Congress Avenue and the northern loop. The ‘Dillo has no travel time advantage over these local routes.




Rout


Route 451 6th Street ‘Dillo


Route 451 provides east/west circulator service in downtown Austin traveling westbound on 6th Street and eastbound on 5th Street between Red River Street and Bowie Street. This route serves numerous downtown activity centers and provides transfer connections with regular north/south routes via a one-way loop. Several downtown hotels are served providing visitors and residence frequent access to popular destinations such as the library, Whole Foods, Republic Square, the Warehouse District and visitor’s center. Ridership on Route 451 is 22.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. The number of passengers per trip is very low, at 2.6. Route Characteristics

Boarding activity is consistent along the route from end to end with significant activity at Congress Avenue.

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 18.3 per hour vs. 25.7 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 24.5 per hours vs. evening at 14.9 per hour. Route 451 duplicates Routes 4, 21, and 22 traveling along 5th Street and 6th Street. Because the frequency of these routes is not as high as Congress (Route 450), the impacts of this duplication are not as visible.




Rout


Route 481 North Night Owl


Route 481 provides night owl service between downtown Austin and north Austin at Lamar and Rundberg via Guadalupe and Lamar serving the Historic 6th Street District, the university and Triangle Park and Ride. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods and generally covers Route 1 up to Rundberg. It operates via a one-way loop at the north end of the route Ridership on Route 481 is 21.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the northbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin with the lowest ridership on the last trip. There are few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service.

The ridership pattern is generally having the highest boardings downtown on northbound trips and de-boardings downtown on southbound trips.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 0 Weekday Base 30 Evening 0 Saturday 30 Sunday 30 Service Span Weekday 12:10A – 3:40A Saturday 12:10A – 3:40A Sunday 12:10A – 3:40A


Rout


Route 482 East Night Owl


Route 482 provides night owl service between downtown Austin and east Austin via 11th Street, Rosewood/Oak Springs and Springdale serving the Warehouse District, and the Historic 6th Street District. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods via a large one-way loop and generally covers Route 2 and Route 4. Ridership on Route 482 is 16.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the eastbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin with ridership about the same on each trip. There are very few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service. Also, some riders using this route to travel westbound must board the bus eastbound due to the large one-way loop.

The highest boardings occur downtown on eastbound trips and the highest de-boardings occur downtown on westbound trips.




Rout


Route 483 Southeast Night Owl


Route 483 provides night owl service between downtown Austin and southeast Austin via Riverside, Burton, Oltorf and Congress serving the Warehouse District, and the Historic 6th Street District. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods via a large one-way loop with most housing only on one side of the route due to the river. It also serves a multi-family housing complex at the end of the line and covers potions of Route 1, Route 7, Route 9 and Route 20. There is minor service duplication with Route 486 on Congress Ave although the buses are traveling in opposite directions. Ridership on Route 483 is 28.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the southbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin with ridership about the same on each trip. There are very few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service. Also, some riders using this route to travel northbound must board the bus southbound due to the large one-way loop.

The highest boardings occur downtown on southbound trips. Most de-boardings occur on the southbound trips along Burton.




Rout


Route 484 Lamar/South 1st Night Owl


Route 484 provides night owl service between downtown Austin, the Historic 6th Street District and south Austin via Lamar, Manchaca, William Cannon and South 1st Street. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods and multi-family housing complexes as well as a number of business districts via a large one-way loop. It covers potions of Route 3 in the southbound direction and Route 10 in the northbound direction. Ridership on Route 484 is 19.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the southbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin with ridership about the same on each trip. There are very few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service. Also, due to the large one-way loop, some riders must travel long distances to reach their destination. This especially impacts riders from downtown to destinations along South 1st Street.

Most de-boarding activity is along the southern segments of the route.




Rout


Route 485 Cameron Night Owl


Route 485 provides night owl service between downtown Austin, the Historic 6th Street District and north Austin via Cameron Road, Rundberg, North Lamar and Braker Lane. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods and multi-family housing complexes as well as a number of business districts. The northern end of the route travels via a large one-way loop. It covers potions of Route 1, Route 10, Route 325 and Route 392. Southbound, it returns via Dessau Road (between Braker and Rundberg) providing the only bus service for this area. There is a route deviation via 51st Street, Lancaster and Barbara Jordan. Ridership on Route 485 is 9.3 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the northbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin. There are very few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service.

The highest northbound boardings occur downtown on northbound trips. Most de-boarding activity is along Cameron Road. Many portions of this route travels through non-residential areas which is not productive for a night owl route. Note: data provided is based on seven trips instead of eight. There was not data available for the last southbound trip.




Rout


Route 486 Dove Springs Night Owl


Route 486 provides night owl service between downtown Austin, the Historic 6th Street District and Pleasant Valley Austin via South Transfer Center, South Congress Avenue, William Cannon, Blue Meadow, Pleasant Valley and Stassney. This route serves numerous single family neighborhoods and multi-family housing complexes as well as a number of business districts via a large one-way loop. It covers potions of Route 1, Route 7, Route 311 and Route 333. The southern end of the route serves a suburban single family housing development. There is minor service duplication with Route 483 on Congress Ave although the buses are traveling in opposite directions. Ridership on Route 486 is 18.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. No service is provided Monday mornings (Sunday night). Route Characteristics

Most ridership is orientated on the southbound trips for riders leaving downtown Austin. There are very few boardings on the return trips which is expected with night owl service.

The highest boarding area is in downtown. Most de-boarding activity is along Congress and William Cannon. Many portions of this route travels through non-residential areas, suburban single family neighborhoods and a freeway which is not productive for a night owl route. Note: data provided is based on seven trips instead of eight. There was not data available for the last southbound trip.




Rout


Route 640 - FA Forty Acres


Route 640 FA provides service between the University of Texas on Dean Keeton and Robert Dedman and Guadalupe Street at 23rd Street. This route operates via a one-way loop providing circulator service around the campus perimeter Sunday through Friday. Ridership on Route 640 is 155.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 122.1 per hour vs. 198.4 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 163.1 per hours vs. evening and night trips at 123.7 and 43.7 per hour respectively. Boarding activity is orientated for travel between campus with consistent boarding and de-boarding activity throughout the loop. Roughly one trip per hour has very low ridership. After 9 pm productivity on Route 640 drops dramatically, indicating that the level of frequency may be overserving the market. The route provides most frequent service during the midday. Night and Sunday trips are connected with Route 641 EC.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 7-10 Weekday Base 5-7 Evening 20 Saturday 0 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 7:20A – 11:07P Saturday No service Sunday 2:10P – 11:00P


Rout


Route 641 - EC East Campus


Route 641 EC provides service between the University of Texas on Dean Keeton and San Jacinto Blvd and UFCU Disch-Faulk Field. This route operates via a one-way loop serving a single family neighborhood east of IH-35 after Disch-Faulk Field Sunday through Friday. Ridership on Route 641 is 52.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 51.0 per hour vs. 70.7 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 58.1 per hours vs. evening and night trips at 33.2 and 13.8 per hour respectively. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. The route provides most frequent service during the midday for students traveling to and from classes. Although boardings per service hour are high, riders per trip average is very low due to the high frequency of the route. Boardings per trip rarely indicate at least a ½ full bus especially afternoons and evenings. Evening productivity of 14 passengers per hours in particular is low. Night and Sunday trips are connected with Route 640 FA.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 7-20 Weekday Base 7 Evening 20 Saturday 0 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 7:03A – 11:00P Saturday No service Sunday 2:00P – 11:20P


Rout


Route 642 - WC West Campus


Route 642 WC provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and San Gabriel Street to the west. This route operates via a one-way loop Sunday through Friday. Ridership on Route 642 is 94.2 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 81.1 per hour vs. 95.7 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 105.5 per hours vs. evening and night trips at 79.6 and 33.0 per hour respectively. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus with on and off activity consistent along the whole route. Boardings per trip overall are high. Occasional trips between 9 am and noon have very light loads. Every other night trip is lightly utilized.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 7 Weekday Base 4-7 Evening 25-30 Saturday 0 Sunday 20 Service Span Weekday 7:12A – 11:01P Saturday No service Sunday 1:50P – 11:20P


Rout


Route 651 - CR Cameron Road


Route 651 CR provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Camino La Costa to the north. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and along Camino La Costa and Cameron weekdays only to about 7 pm. Ridership on Route 651 is 22.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 21.4 per hour vs. 27.1 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 21.7 per hours vs. evening trips at 19.8. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. Boardings per trip are low overall with some minor increase during AM peak southbound and PM peak northbound. It does not appear that the ridership level corresponds to the frequency – i.e. there is significant excess capacity on CR. Night service is provided with a combined CR/RR route from about 7pm to 11pm.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 11-13 Weekday Base 11-13 Evening 27 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 7:24A – 7:18P Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 652 - PRC Pickle Research Campus


Route 652 PRC provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Guadalupe Street and the J.J. Pickle Research Center to the north. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and through the research center campus while serving MCC Drive on northbound trips only weekdays to about 8pm. Ridership on Route 652 is 14.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 11.8 per hour vs. 16.9 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 15.9 per hours vs. evening trips at 9.6 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops at the J.J. Pickle Research Center. Boardings per trip are low and productivities are low – and do not warrant 30-minute midday or peak service. Although Route 652 travels non-stop via the Mopac Expressway, Route 3 also provides service between the university and the research center


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 30 Weekday Base 30-60 Evening 60 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 8:30A – 8:32P Saturday No service Sunday No Service


Rout


Route 653 - RR Red River


Route 653 RR provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and E 46th Street via Red River Street to the north. This route serves single family neighborhoods along Red River and operates via a one-way loop on campus and weekdays only to about 7pm. Ridership on Route 653 is 47.7 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during a.m. peak-period are 36.8 per hour vs. 64.7 during the p.m. peak-period. Midday boardings are 45.6 per hours vs. evening trips at 53.1. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. In particular, the a.m. peak has more service than is required from a capacity standpoint. Hourly ridership surges appear after 9 a.m. and thus require some of the higher frequency. Night service is provided with a combined CR/RR route from about 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Route 653 duplicates service along Red River Street with Route 10.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 5-9 Weekday Base 5-9 Evening 16-25 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 7:15A – 7:02P Saturday No service Sunday No service


Rout


Route 656 - IF Intramural Fields


Route 656 IF provides service between the University of Texas on Dean Keeton and the intramural fields on Guadalupe Street & W 51st Street to the north via Speedway. This route serves single family neighborhoods along Speedway and operates via a one-way loop when serving the intramural fields area weekdays only. Ridership on Route 656 is 59.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 50.0 per hour vs. 66.0 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 59.5 per hours vs. evening trips at 67.7 followed by night trips at 41.6 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus with consistent activity along Speedway. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. Boardings per trip are low with surges about once per hour. Sunday service is provided with a combined IF/FW route. Route 656 duplicates service along Speedway with Route 5.




Rout


Route 661 - FW Far West


Route 661 IF provides service between the University of Texas on Dean Keeton and Village Center multi-family housing complex to the north via Mopac, W 35th Street, W 38th Street and Guadalupe Street. This route operates non-stop between Village Center and the campus weekdays only. Ridership on Route 661 is 36.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 41.2 per hour vs. 40.2 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 32.2 per hours vs. evening trips at 43.0 followed by night trips at 45.4 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. Northbound boardings are light until later afternoon. Southbound boardings are light from afternoon to end of service. Sunday service is provided with a combined IF/FW route.




Rout


Route 662 - ER Enfield Road


Route 662 ER provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Enfield at Raleigh to the west. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and serves residential areas along Enfield Road weekdays only. Ridership on Route 662 is 20.3 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 22.3 per hour vs. 21.5 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 19.2 per hours vs. evening at 18.8 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. Two stops – at Enfield/Lynn and Enfield/Norwalk are the two busiest non-UT stops. A significant number of riders on eastbound trips are intra-campus riders. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. This route has more service than is necessary from a passenger demand perspective. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined ER/LA route. Route 662 duplicates service along Enfield with Route 9 and with Route 663 LA on Lake Austin Blvd.




Rout


Route 663 - LA Lake Austin


Route 663 LA provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Brackenridge Apartments to the west. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and serves W 5th St and W 6th St west of downtown weekdays only. Ridership on Route 663 is 30.2 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour are very consistent throughout the day. During the AM peak-period there are 29.5 per hour vs. 31.0 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 29.9 per hours vs. evening at 31.9 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. There is significant excess capacity on the route. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined ER/LA route. Route 663 duplicates service with Route 21 and Route 22 along W 5th St, W 6th St and Lake Austin Blvd.




Rout


Route 670 - CP Crossing Place


Route 670 CP provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Crossing Place at Riverside Drive to the south serving the Melrose Place apartments. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and operates non-stop on IH-35 and Riverside Drive weekdays only. Ridership on Route 670 is 42.6 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 41.1 per hour vs. 44.3 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 43.8 per hours vs. evening at 31.2 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. Northbound AM and southbound PM there are a number of trips with decent boardings but are intermixed with low boarding trips due to the frequency. This is typical of university service. Route 670 is negatively affected by afternoon traffic congestion on I-35. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined WL/CP route. Routes NR, LS and WL all operate to the same general vicinity serving various housing complexes off Riverside Drive. Also, Route 20 also provides service between the campus and Riverside Drive at Crossing Place.




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Route 671 - NR North Riverside


Route 671 NR provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and housing complexes at Elmont and S Pleasant Valley to the south. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and at Elmont traveling non-stop on IH-35 and Riverside Drive weekdays only. Ridership on Route 671 is 41.8 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 44.1 per hour vs. 37.1 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 44.9 per hours vs. evening at 27.4 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. As with most university routes, there are a number of trips with very good boardings intermixed with low boarding trips due to the frequency. Route 671 is negatively affected by afternoon traffic congestion on I-35. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined LS/NR route. Routes CP, LS and WL all operate to the same general vicinity serving various housing complexes off Riverside Drive. Routes NR and LS jointly serve the vicinity of S Pleasant Valley & Elmont.




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Route 672 - LS Lakeshore


Route 672 LS provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and housing complexes on Lakeshore Drive and S Pleasant Valley to the south. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and at Lakeshore traveling non-stop on IH-35 and Riverside Drive weekdays only. Ridership on Route 672 is 26.5 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 34.6 per hour vs. 27.1 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 26.3 per hours vs. evening at 9.7 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. The frequency is high for the number of boardings per trip. Midday frequency is higher than necessary based on passenger demand. Route 672 is negatively affected by afternoon traffic congestion on I-35. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined LS/NR route. Routes CP, NR and WL all operate to the same general vicinity serving various housing complexes off Riverside Drive. Routes NR and LS jointly serve the vicinity of S Pleasant Valley & Elmont. Also, Route 20 also provides service between the campus and Riverside Drive at Crossing Place.




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Route 675 - WL Wickersham Lane


Route 675 WL provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and housing complexes on Wickersham Lane and Willow Creek areas to the south. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and at Wickersham/Willow Creek traveling non-stop on IH-35 and Riverside Drive weekdays only. Ridership on Route 675 is 23.5 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 26.7 per hour vs. 21.3 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 23.7 per hours vs. evening at 22.1 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from stops on campus. Route 672 is negatively affected by afternoon traffic congestion on I-35. Ridership data suggests that Route 675 has higher frequency than is necessary to support the passenger loads during all times of the day. Night and Sunday service is provided by a combined WL/CP route. Routes CP, NR and LS all operate to the same general vicinity serving various housing complexes off Riverside Drive. Routes NR and LS jointly serve the vicinity of S Pleasant Valley & Elmont. Also, Route 20 also provides service between the campus and Wickersham Lane.




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Route 680 – LS/NR Lakeshore/North Riverside


Route 680 LS/NR provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Wickersham at Elmont and Lakeshore at Riverside to the south in place of Route 671 NR and Route 672 LS weeknights and Sundays. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and along Wickersham and Lakeshore while serving housing complexes. Ridership on Route 680 is 58.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during the evening time period are 60.1 and nights at 56.6 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel from stops on campus with consistent de-boarding activity along Elmont and S Pleasant Valley. Southbound boardings per trip are high overall. Weekday day time service is provided by Route NR and Route LS. Route WL/CP also provide service in this area off of Riverside.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 0 Weekday Base 0 Evening 20-40 Saturday 0 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 7:05P – 11:24P Saturday No service Sunday 1:25PM – 11:49P


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Route 683 – ER/LA Enfield Road/Lake Austin


Route 683 ER/LA provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Enfield at Raleigh and Lake Austin Blvd at Brackenridge Apartments to the west in place of Route 662 ER and Route 663 LA weeknights and Sundays. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and along Enfield and Lake Austin while serving residential areas and housing complexes. Ridership on Route 683 is 35.4 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during the evening time period are 36.5 and nights at 33.9 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel from stops on campus with de-boarding activity along Enfield and Lake Austin Blvd up to about Dumas. Weekday day time service is provided by Route ER and Route LA. Route 683 duplicates service and with Routes 21 and 22 west of downtown on Lake Austin Blvd and 5th Street as well as at Enfield & Exposition.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 0 Weekday Base 0 Evening 20-40 Saturday 0 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 7:00P – 11:26P Saturday No service Sunday 1:56PM – 11:26P


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Route 684 – CR/RR Cameron Road/Red River


Route 684 CR/RR provides service between the University of Texas on Dean Keeton and Camino La Costa via Red River to the north in place of Route 651 CR and Route 653 RR weeknights and Sundays. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and while serving Camino La Costa and Cameron Road. Ridership on Route 684 is 33.9 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during the evening time period are 36.5 and nights at 33.9 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel from stops on campus with consistent de-boarding activity along Red River at Camino La Costa and on Cameron. The frequency during early evening is higher than is necessary based on passenger loads. Weekday day time service is provided by Route CR and Route RR.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 0 Weekday Base 0 Evening 15-45 Saturday 0 Sunday 45 Service Span Weekday 7:05P – 11:28P Saturday No service Sunday 2:01P – 11:49P


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Route 685 – WL/CP Wickersham Lane/Crossing Place


Route 685 WL/CP provides service between the University of Texas on San Jacinto Blvd and Wickersham and Willow Creek at Riverside to the south in place of Route 670 CP and Route 675 WL weeknights and Sundays. This route operates via a one-way loop on campus and along Wickersham and Willow Creek with a leg to Crossing Place while serving housing complexes. Ridership on Route 685 is 33.1 passengers per revenue hour overall. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during the evening time period are 46.9 and nights at 25.0 per hour. Boarding activity is orientated for travel from stops on campus with consistent de-boarding activity at Crossing Place, Wickersham and Willow Creek areas. Ridership loads are such that some trips are less utilized, but they are necessary as otherwise overloads would be occurring on the remaining trips. Weekday day time service is provided by Route WL and Route CP. Route LS/NR also provide service in this area off of Riverside.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 0 Weekday Base 0 Evening 20 Saturday 0 Sunday 40 Service Span Weekday 7:05P – 11:51P Saturday No service Sunday 1:04P – 11:52P


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Route 935 Tech Ridge Express


Route 935 provides peak-period, peak-direction express service between Tech Ridge Park and Ride and Riverside Drive via IH-35, the university, capital and downtown Austin. It makes no stops while traveling on IH-35. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ between certain segments of the route depending on direction. Ridership on Route 935 is about 38.1 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 42.4 per hour vs. 37.8 during the PM peak-period. Evening trips decline to 18.0 per hour. The passengers per trip is excellent – indicating near full buses on most trips.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the downtown area stops. Every trip makes the extension to Riverside Drive, which is reasonable if the vehicle is heading to the base. However, the ridership on Riverside Drive, combined with the local service on Riverside, calls into question the need for this extension.

Routes 1L, 1M, and 101 provide alternative ways for passengers to return to their vehicles during off-peak times. Traffic congestion on I-35 has a negative effect on on-time performance.




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Route 970 Lantana Express


Route 970 provides peak-period, reverse peak-direction express service between downtown Austin and AMD, Freescale at Lantana via Mopac. One northbound morning trip and one southbound afternoon trip is provided. These trips are through-routed with Route 982 in downtown Austin. Ridership on Route 970 is about 13.4 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to and from the Lantana.

There are no alternative express routes. Route 333 is the only other alternative to and from Lantana. Boardings overall are very low. The number of boardings is insufficient to warrant an express bus trip.


Service Headway Weekday Peak 1 a.m. trip

1 p.m. trip Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday Peak-periods Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Route 982 Pavilion Express


Route 982 provides weekday express service between Pavilion Park and Ride and downtown Austin via Mopac, Guadalupe, the university and capital. Southbound only, the schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow and service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ south of 38th Street & Lamar. Service is provided all day in both directions except that northbound trips begin at 11:00 am. Ridership on Route 982 is about 32.8 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route. There are 24.3 passengers per trip. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 39.8 per hour vs. 32.6 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 28.2 per hour while evening trips decline to 25.6 per hour.

Boarding activity is orientated for travel to reach stops on Guadalupe Street and the downtown area from the north.

Route 983 also provides express service to and from the Pavilion Park and Ride following the same routing. During midday, Routes 983 and 982 combine to provide 30-minute service between Pavilion, Arboretum, UT, and downtown Austin. Traffic congestion on 183 and Mopac has a negative effect on on-time performance.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 5-20 Weekday Base 60 Evening 15-60 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 6:10A – 7:12P Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Route 983 North US 183 Express


Route 983 provides weekday express service between Leander Park and Ride, Lakeline Station Park and Ride, Pavilion Park and Ride and downtown Austin via Mopac, Guadalupe, the university and capital. Southbound only, the schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow and service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ south of 38th Street & Lamar. Service is provided all day in both directions. Ridership on Route 983 is about 20.5 passengers per revenue hour and 25.7 passengers per trip. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 22.2 per hour vs. 21.9 during the PM peak-period. Midday boardings are 18.4 per hour while evening and night trips decline to 20.4 and 18.9 per hour respectively. Route 983 is the clean-up route for Northwest Austin commuter service, as it makes all stops at park-and-rides along the 183 corridor and it operates throughout the day. Route 983 also provides express service to and from the Pavilion Park and Ride following the same routing. During midday, Routes 983 and 982 combine to provide 30-minute service between Pavilion, Arboretum, UT, and downtown Austin. Leander Station is also served by express routes 986 and 987 while Lakeline Station is also served by Route 984 and Route 987. Traffic congestion on 183 and Mopac has a negative effect on on-time performance.


Service Headway (Minutes) Weekday Peak 60 Weekday Base 60 Evening 60 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday 4:50A – 11:51P Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Route 984 NW Direct via IH-35 Express


Route 984 provides peak directional express service between Lakeline Station Park and Ride and Riverside Drive via US 183, IH-35, the university, capital and downtown Austin. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Southbound, service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ south of Lakeline Station. Ridership on Route 984 is about 26.8 passengers per revenue hour for the overall route and 25.2 passengers per trip. Route Characteristics


Boarding activity is orientated for travel to reach stops near the university and the downtown area stops from the north. The Riverside Drive segment is less by comparison.

Lakeline Station is also served by express Route 983 and Route 987. Traffic congestion on 183 and I-35 has a negative effect on on-time performance.


Service Headway Weekday Peak 3 a.m. trips

3 p.m. trips Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday AM/PM Peak Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Route 986 Leander Direct via IH-35 Express


Route 986 provides peak directional express service between Leander Station Park and Ride and Riverside Drive via US 183, IH-35, the university, capital and downtown Austin. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Southbound, service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ south of Leander Station. Ridership on Route 986 is about 20.4 passengers per revenue hour and 21.8 passengers per trip. Route Characteristics


Based on the Fall 2008 counts, none of the trips are at capacity right now.

Route 983 and 987 provide additional express service from Leander Station to downtown Austin and UT. Traffic congestion on 183 and I-35 has a negative effect on on-time performance.


Service Headway Weekday Peak 3 a.m. trips

2 p.m. trips Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday AM/PM Peak Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Route 987 Leander/NW Express


Route 987 provides peak directional express service between Leander Station Park and Ride and Riverside Drive via Lakeline Station, US 183, Mopac, the university, capital and downtown Austin. The schedule is based on estimated timepoints to allow trips to travel as quickly as traffic will allow. Southbound, service is provided as ‘drop-off only’ south of Lakeline Station. Ridership on Route 987 is about 22.2 passengers per revenue hour and 29.2 passengers per trip. Route Characteristics

Boardings per service hour during AM peak-period are 28.5 per hour vs. 20.5 during the PM peak-period. Evening trips drop to 13.8 boardings per hour.

Route 983 and 986 provide additional express service from Leander Station and Routes 983 and 984 serve Lakeline Station. Traffic congestion on 183 and Mopac has a negative effect on on-time performance.


Service Headway Weekday Peak 10-30 Weekday Base 0 Evening 0 Saturday 0 Sunday 0 Service Span Weekday AM/PM Peak Saturday No service Sunday No service


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Documents

CHAPTER 1 – EXISTING CONDITIONS