As part of a new initiative to help fight congestion on city streets, and create awareness and appeal for taking transit, Capital Metro has created five “urban adventures” people can take using MetroRapid to some of Austin’s hottest locales:
- SoCo on Congress beyond the river is home to such must-visit restaurants as Home Slice Pizza and Hopdoddy Burger Bar, and also eclectic shops like Uncommon Objects and Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, food trucks, and music and art venues. Served by MetroRapid 801.
- Auditorium Shores features the Long Center of Performing Arts, Butler Park, Threadgills, and the volleyball courts at Aussie’s Grill and Beach Bar. Served by MetroRapid 801.
- Lo-Burn features delicious eats such as Pinthouse Pizza and Lucy’s Fried Chicken, antique and collectible shops, and cool hangouts like the Little Longhorn Saloon and Phil’s Ice House. Served by MetroRapid 803.
- Warehouse District, located in downtown Austin, is bustling with new businesses and eats like Gordoughs and the Ginger Man, the Violet Crown Movie Theater and the Second Street Shopping District. Served by MetroRapid 801 and 803.
- The Domain, anchored by Dillard’s, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus, also houses the Apple Store, Whole Foods Market, Anthropologie and H&M, as well as fun hangouts like Punch Bowl Social, iPic Theaters and Top Golf. Served by MetroRapid 803.
“Capital Metro is working to integrate its services with people’s daily lives and Austin’s unique energy,” said Dan Dawson, vice president of marketing and communications at Capital Metro. “MetroRapid runs through the heart of the city, and offers frequent service, Wi-Fi and digital signs that tells you when the next bus arrives, so it makes hanging out stress-free.”
Capital Metro riders are encouraged to share their own urban adventures highlighting some of their own favorite destinations on Twitter and Facebook using #urbanadventures.
MetroRapid travels to popular destinations along the North Lamar-South Congress and Burnet-South Lamar corridors on weekdays from 5 a.m. until 12:30 a.m., Saturdays from 6 a.m. until 12:30 a.m., and Sundays from 7 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Riders can catch MetroRapid every 15 minutes on weekdays until 7 p.m., every 20 minutes on weekdays after 7 p.m., and every 20 to 30 minutes on weekends. A Premium Day Pass for unlimited number of rides on MetroRapid, local MetroBus and Flyer Routes 100-199 costs $3.50.
People who have never used transit before can learn to navigate the Capital Metro system with three fun new videos hosted by comedian Ted Meredith of Esther’s Follies and featuring some of Austin’s brightest local talent, who show riders how to plan a trip, locate a bus using real-time information, and pay their fare in advance or on-the-spot with the CapMetro App.
The Urban Adventures and How-To videos are part of a new initiative by Capital Metro to encourage people to skip the traffic drama, leave their car at home, and become “Two-Timers” by riding transit twice a week. Taking transit instead of driving helps people avoid the hassles of parking, price gouging from on-demand services, and being stuck behind the wheel in heavy traffic. Riders who aren’t taxed by the pressures of driving are also more apt to enjoy their leisure time activities.
According to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and INRIX, Austin ranks as the 10th most congested city in the country. That same report showed that in 2014, a peak-hour trip in the Austin area took 33 percent longer than the same trip would take in lighter traffic.
