Capital Metro will open two new park-and-ride facilities next month, marking the completion of a plan to bring two new rapid bus lines to East Austin as part of Project Connect. The Goodnight Ranch and Expo Center park-and-rides will open June 7. The facilities will serve the newest rapid lines, which launched last year.
Rapid 837 will terminate at Goodnight Ranch in Southeast Austin, and Rapid 800 will terminate at the Travis County Exposition Center in Northeast Austin. The two routes will also get a frequency bump, running every 10 minutes during the highest-demand times on weekdays.
"June’s service launch represents a major step forward in how Central Texas moves," CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said in a news release. "With our full frequency of Rapid service, along with the opening of these two new Park & Rides, we’re creating a more convenient and sustainable way for people to travel throughout the region."
Expo Center, near Decker Lane and Loyola Lane, features 159 parking spaces and eight bus bays with infrastructure to charge electric buses. In addition to the rapid route, CapMetro will realign Routes 18, 233 and 337 in June to serve Expo Center.
Goodnight Ranch at East Slaughter Lane and Vertex Boulevard has 64 parking spots and four bus bays. Routes 318 and 333 will also serve the facility.
Together, the rapid lines and park-and-rides cost $101.2 million. The majority, $65.6 million, came from a Federal Transit Administration grant. The remaining $35.6 million came from local Project Connect funding, which Austin voters approved in 2020.