Public Transportation in Austin, Texas

Austin is not only the capital of Texas but also The Music Capital of the World by having more live music venues than even Nashville. It's a city known for it's rich history, art, and culture and home to the University of Texas. Austin is also the third largest growing city in the U.S. over the last decade due to being home to Whole Foods, Dell, and hundreds of technology companies.

All of this growth and an increase in tourism has caused the downtown area to be extremely congested. The current bus system run by Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) has 400 buses moving over 140,000 people everyday. However, this was still was not adequate and led to Capital Metro building a commuter rail system. Capital MetroRail will begin operation on March 30th, 2009.

Until then, the best and most inexpensive way to get around town is the bus system. If you are visiting from out of town and flying into the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, a bus runs directly downtown or to the University of Texas. Another alternative is taking a $25 cab ride to the center of downtown. American Yellow Taxi Cab is the largest and most reputable and can be contacted at 512-452-9999. Once you are downtown you can choose from the following options:

One Way Fares: Adults Students Children 6 or younger, seniors
Dillo (bus trolley) $0.50 $0.25 Free

Metro, Flyer, UT Shuttle, Limited $0.75 $0.35 Free

Express and Northwest Dial-A-Ride $1.50 $0.75 Free

In addition, if you are attending University of Texas or a faculty member, all buses are free. If you are a local or in town for a longer duration, the monthly passes are your best choice:

Dillo Monthly Pass $5.00
Local Day Pass $1.50
Local 7-Day Pass $7.00
Local Monthly Pass $18.00
Express Day Pass $3.00
Express Monthly Pass $36.00

It is highly suggested to visit Capital Metro's website for a complete list of routes, maps, and the most updated fares, at www.capmetro.org

You can also rent a bike at several local bike shops. The downtown area is "bicycle friendly" and is not very hilly. There are several parks and endless amounts of bike paths. One of the larger bike shops in the center of downtown that offer rentals is Bicycle Sport Shop. You can reserve one online at www.bicyclesportshop.com or contact them at 512-477-3742.

With it's well organized and affordable bus system and the new MetroRail system beginning operation at the end of this month, Austin is becoming easier to explore than ever before.