Results tagged “capmetro”

• Car collector dies… in a car accident.
• Be careful whom you shoot when they are coming into your condo!
• Skip class=find true love.

This evening the Capital Metro Dillos are taking their last passengers; as of 7pm, the trolley-like buses will complete their routes for the last time. It wasn't that long ago that the Dillo was free to ride within the downtown area, but a farewell ride today will cost you 50 cents. The cancellation of the Dillo service comes after the Dillo routes were cut down and ridership strongly decreased. [Statesman]

• Sumatra aftershocks begin.
• Ken Lay Lewis steps down from Bank of America. No tears were shed.
• GOP leader doesn't like math or statistics.

• Fried butter is coming to the State Fair of Texas. “Big Tex” might just get bigger….
• P.E. requirements reduced by the State of Texas, but you’ll still need them to graduate from the Corpus Christi Independent School District!
• Want to live to be 110? Don’t take a car! (That's actual advice from someone who is 110 years old.)

Concealed handguns on their way to a campus near you? State Senate gave preliminary approval today to a bill allowing concealed handguns on public university campuses.Police searching for the suspect from a mugging at UT this morning. The Statesman now has a nifty online crime map. Round Rock ISD employee steals 100 computers from the district, tries to sell them on Craigslist. CapMetro set to use $10 million loan, if needed. Statewide smoking ban bill, we hardly knew ye. 4-year-old Waco man in stable condition after being stung more than 250 times by bees.

• Uno visits the Capitol.
• Waco man stabbed for his flatulence.
• Local auto theft on the rise.

Lan Bui/Flickr
• Sex research is well and good, but when is someone going to study our drunken hook-ups?
• SXSW made money. Duh.
• People came to SXSW to find work.

Who cares how much it cost?* Who cares if it doesn't go everywhere we want to go?** Austin's almost got a people train. Toot toot! These photographs were provided by Steve Hopson.

StimulusWatch.org is a volunteer-compiled wiki that lists all of the proposed "shovel-ready" projects that each city has proposed. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as the stimulus package is officially called, won't directly fund any of these projects, but if passed will allocate the money necessary to enable some of these.

Jay Wyatt, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091, said the Cap Metro bus drivers, mechanics and maintenance workers in the union will begin a strike Wednesday morning in response to continued failure to reach a settlement in contract negotiations. It is possible that an agreement will be reached before Wednesday. If not, CapMetro will run a reduced schedule and charge no fares.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091, which represents CapMetro bus drivers and maintenance workers, has rejected a "final" offer from StarTran, Inc. According to the Statesman, that offer included a one-time $1,000 payment instead of a percentage raise for the 2007-08 contract year and a starting salary for some new drivers $6/hour under the current rate. Union president Jay Wyatt is expected to announce on Friday whether the union will strike. If they do, CapMetro will run a reduced schedule and charge no fares.

Another Capital Metro bus rider was severely assaulted last Friday afternoon in North Austin, and this time there's reason to believe that the attack may have been a targeted hate crime.

State fire investigators wondering if the arsonist who set ablaze the Governor's Mansion acted alone. Cedar Park paramedic among those dead after a medical chopper crashes near Huntsville. Three boys may have been exposed to a rabid bat at the Northcross bus stop. CapMetro holding public meetings this week to take comment on proposed fare increases. FBI says crime nationwide has decreased, but in Austin it has increased.

As gas prices continue to rise and the bimonthly resurrection of the lightrail debate goes on-and-off, Austinites are left with the option of riding Capital Metro buses. What can sometimes be a nuisance for some and a necessity for most, Cap Metro has a love-hate relationship with the City of Austin and its drivers. Whatever your thoughts of the bus system in our city, they did have some good news to report this month: ridership is up! Over 675,000 more people rode Cap Metro buses this year than in 2007—that's an increase of over 6%. The amount of people who choose to park-and-ride went up, as well, over 13%. Reports of full buses and long waits have filled Cap Metro inboxes and, in response, the company hopes to add between 10 to 15 more buses to its fleet. Additionally, Cap Metro says they hope to use these to create new, more rider friendly routes.

ACL Fest lineup to be announced April 15. Rodney Reed's lawyers argued before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today. New federal study will figure the environmental impact of coal plants north of Austin. Texas Monthly publisher upset over new City Manager's appointment to head EMS. Wildfire in the Valley covers 25,000 acres and causes hundreds of people to evacuate their homes.

Reason the power was out in East Austin Wednesday afternoon: a copper theft gone seriously wrong. The Cowboy Breakfast this morning kicked off the rodeo in town by providing a free breakfast to everyone there at 6am. Slightly reminiscent of "Daisy": Obama campaign unhappy with Hillary's new "Children" campaign ad. Clinton attends funeral of Dallas cop who died while serving in her motorcade. Huckabee makes campaign stop in Waco today. Show your voter registration card and ride the bus for free on election day.

Today's Mega News Bits by Patrick Dentler and Rebecca Onion
• Asian markets fall; the Fed is really, really worried.
• Not convinced Giuliani's a dangerous, power-mad nutcase? Read this.

Photo by gunnyrat on flickr
• The oil that spilled onto Sixth Street and into Waller Creek last week came from a 100-year-old underground tank.
• Jennifer Kim on the Northcross WalMart: "It's going to be a freaking disaster."
• Celebration Church in Georgetown has its own Starbucks and 5,000 attendees. Sayeth the pastor: "You can't do church without money."

Cap Metro bus caught fire on northbound 183 this morning. Ronnie Earle endorses Rosemary Lehmberg, his co-worker, to run for his current position. A case of death, mutilation and possible cannibalism in Tyler over the weekend.

Photo by Matt Wright on flickr Sunday morning, a Cap Metro passenger was stabbed by another rider with a screwdriver. Gas line break off of Riverside this afternoon is being repaired. Cold front on its way tonight? Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County is starting its first Women Build in February. Even though Tejano music is popular among locals, it has been overtaken on the airwaves by Norteño. Shady fliers telling people to vote this...

The first two of six new commuter rail trains arrived in Austin this week. The diesel-electric trains trains, the last of which should arrive by late spring, were purchased from Swiss manufacturer Stadler Bussnang AG ("We Track Clever Solutions" -- get it?) for $34 million. Cap Metro plans to start testing these cars next month along the rail line from Howard Lane and Mopac down to 47th Street and Airport Boulevard—each will be run...

Whether you're going nuts over your afternoon commute, pleased as punch about Cap Metro's Long-Range Transit Plan, tonight's your chance to let 'em know—after you've downed a few rounds of liquid courage, if need be. The monthly edition of Keep Austin Blue's Social Hour is happening over at Mother Egan's Irish Pub, and tonight's agenda is all about transportation. Participating public transit aficionados include Matt Curtis (Director Community Involvement, Capital Metro), Todd Hemingson (VP...

More on the bus accident this morning . . . A Capital Metro bus crashed into an office building earlier today after hitting an SUV; the SUV's driver didn't yield at a side street. The bus driver and one of the passengers were seriously injured on their Medical Parkway route, between 45th and 38th Street; four other passengers are in the hospital with minor injuries. A few more passengers and the driver of the SUV...

Austinist presents our "Peg Your Clique Quiz" ... and we're still embarrassed by our score Additional SXSW bands were announced (Platinum Pass for auction!), and we finally saw the first week of great music releases for 2006 Reviews: Waterloo and Veronica (books); Danceworks Laboratory's latest works-in-progress showing (dance) Here's to getting past the most depressing day of the year. Thankfully, Carnivale's just a few days away! Is our fair city getting its own Central...

Once again, it looks like those of us who rely on public transportation on a daily basis could be faced with a strike of some sort, unless Cap City Metro and the unionized drivers and mechanics can come to terms. We are not very hopeful.

Those of you still wanting to check out the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park had better hurry: tonight's your last chance to see the mile-long spectacle. Also, we'd recommend that you arrive early this evening if you'd like to avoid the massive crush of last-minute holiday traffic: last night Austinist was making our way down to Barton Skyway from MoPac and a half-mile stretch of cars was blocking the far-right exit lanes off Rollingwood in both directions. It was easily a half-hour to hour-long wait. Consider, instead, taking the cheap Cap Metro shuttle from Waterloo Park ($2/1 adults/kids). Either way, be sure to get there before 10pm tonight - after that, it all gets taken apart.
* photo by Chris Staefe

The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin and Austin's Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority are set to receive $4.35 million in funds from a newly-passed Congressional appropriations bill. The LBJ Library will receive $1 million to make repairs and to tie it to the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has received some heat lately from Democratic challenger Barbara Radnofsky, set the bill in action. Cap Metro will get $3.35...

We just went to buy a new bus pass at the Cap Metro office on Congress and inquired about the strike rumors. A friendly guy behind the counter said that he thought that today was the day they would decide, presumably meaning the strike would occur as soon as tomorrow. The busses will continue to run on a limited schedule, he said, which will match the weekend schedule.

On our way to work this morning aboard the Gold Dillo (the Dillo’s are free, y’all), we saw an assortment of police and emergency vehicles, along with multiple Cap Metro busses, lined up in front of the Hyatt on Riverside. We figured it was a bomb scare, and we figured right. According to the Statesman, a man entered the lobby around 7am, placed his bag in the lobby and then asked where the restroom was. Upon his exit, he was reminded of his bag, and he ran. Another bag was spotted near the pool. Austin authorities are using robotic technology to determine the contents of the bag. We will let you know more details as they become available.