1985 was a great year. Gas was $1.09, “Back to the Future” ruled the box office, and “We Are the World” swept the nation. Here in Central Texas, Austin voters made a big decision to invest in the region’s future by creating the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. CapMetro was born!
Fast forward to today and we’re celebrating 40 years of service, progress and possibility. From our humble beginnings with just a few bus routes to becoming a national model for sustainable transit, CapMetro has been on a roll since day one.
Here’s a look back at the moments that shaped who we are and a glimpse at what’s ahead.
The Early Days: Laying the Tracks (1985–1993)
CapMetro hit the streets in 1985 with local, express and paratransit service. By the early ‘90s, we were running UT shuttles, rolling out vanpools and leading the way in accessibility, going 100% wheelchair accessible in 1993 long before it was required.
Innovation & Exploration (1994–2010)
From the beginning, CapMetro has always been about bold ideas. We operated the iconic ‘Dillo trolleys around town for nearly 25 years before saying farewell in 2009, but they’ll always have a special place in our hearts (and history). We tested light rail in 1997, lost a rail campaign by only 2,000 votes in 2000 and finally got the green light for commuter rail in 2004, and it was All Systems Go! By 2010 the Red Line was connecting Leander to downtown.
Modern Moves (2011–2019)
In the 2010s, CapMetro turned up the speed. We launched the Rapid 801 and 803 lines in 2014, giving Central Texas its first taste of bus rapid transit. We also made transit more responsive by introducing our microtransit service called Pickup and reimagined the entire network with Cap Remap, doubling high-frequency routes in 2018.
A New Era with Project Connect (2020–Today)
In 2020, voters said YES to the Project Connect program to expand transit options throughout Central Texas, and the transformation began. Since then, we’ve opened new stations like Downtown and McKalla (hello, Q2 fans!), and expanded Red Line rail service. We’ve launched more Pickup zones and introduced two new Rapid lines, Routes 800 and 837, bringing fast, reliable service to more neighborhoods than ever before.
Here’s to What’s Next
We’ve come a long way in 40 years, proudly serving more than 2 million customers every month, and we’re not slowing down now!
With a new light rail system that will transform how we move around our city, a Sustainability Vision Plan to help integrate sustainability in everything we do, and a growing regional network that reflects and respects the communities we serve, CapMetro’s next 40 years are shaping up to be even more transformative than the last.
To everyone who’s ever boarded a bus, ridden the rail, scanned a pass, or helped move this system forward, thank you. This celebration belongs to all of us.
Let’s keep moving!
Want to share your CapMetro story or memories from over the years? Tag us on social or drop us a line at capmetro.org/help. We’d love to hear from you!
