Free Buses! Happy Ozone Action Day!

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Austin's Capital Metro Transit, with the help of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has declared today an Ozone Action Day. What does this mean for the lay commuter? Free bus rides! It's a great way to forgo guzzling gas or avoid getting pit stains from biking to the office.

According to Capital Metro Transit's web-site they estimate an increased ridership of 8,000 on Ozone Action Days. There could be some truth to that because we noticed the 1L was straight-up bonkers this morning. Today's your day to travel free intrepid Austinites, plan a trip and find out what Austin public transit is all about.

Image (c) Robbie1 on Flickr.

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By adam rice in News on May 18, 2006 10:59 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

adam rice

We can't know how hoverboards end up because we only have the theoretical model posited by BTTF2. But if that's any indication, we really should get on it... so long as old Biff doesn't go back in time to give young Biff the almanac. I've got some sort of BTTF dementia going on here, sorry.

M1EK

Well, the cyberlibertarian crowd in both Seattle and here got behind monorail in a big way. We know how that ends.

adam rice

Why doesn't Austin use its techno-clout and uber-intelligent tech professionals to design real, working hoverboards? And make every day "Free Hoverboard Day?" At least we can still watch Jackie Gleason while we eat.

M1EK

There's no way a bus-only transit agency will ever serve the suburbs adequately. The density's too low - they either run too many buses and lower their already critically low farebox recovery ratio (and then get destroyed by politics) or they run based on their current FRR and don't come anywhere near sprawlburbia. Rock, meet hard place.

As for the merits of this program - I'd get rid of it. The last time we talked to CM while I was still on the UTC, they admitted they didn't know if any of these 'new riders' were really choice commuters who left the car at home that day because of the free ride, but they doubted it (and so did I). Other, more plausible theories, are that the transit-dependent choose to take more trips on days when it's free; and that bums ride more to enjoy the free air conditioning.

eliz. s.

Those are some crazy seats there.

Lisa

Now if only Austin metro would offer decent service to those of us who don't live downtown. I'd love to take public transport. But to get from my apartment to my office would take 1.5 hours. A trip that by car, in rush hour, takes 15 minutes.

odam

from my experiences riding buses here and in DC, all Ozone day does is get more transients and poor people free rides, which is fine. However, the point of it is to get people to not drive to work. The only way to do that is to take their cars away from them, probably. I am all for free rides - although it must cost the city a bundle - that allow people to not stand i scorching heat. But the hope that it will get people out of their cars and onto the bus is a farce.