Bus operating speeds take into account more than normal driving speeds. They also include deceleration while approaching bus stops, dwell time at stops (boarding, alighting, fare collection), and acceleration away from stops. As such, overall scheduled transit speeds are expected to be well below posted speed limits. Transit speeds are also influenced by prevailing traffic conditions. The speed at which transit operates directly influences passenger trip times and therefore the appeal of transit.

Overall, scheduled transit speeds have remained fairly consistent year over year in the period since 2016. Transit speed largely trends with overall traffic conditions in Austin. Speeds peaked in FY2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic when roads were less congested. Since then, FY2022 saw slower average speeds which was likely influenced by the return of normal traffic congestion. CapMetro and the City of Austin work continuously to improve transit speed and reliability through bus stop optimization, signal timing adjustments, transit priority treatments, and other infrastructure projects.

This important work is critical to creating and maintaining a public transportation system that is an attractive alternative to driving. Retaining and attracting transit riders is essential for Austin to reach our mobility goals as outlined in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, including our transit mode share. For more information about the City and CapMetro’s collaborative work to enhance transit service in Austin, please visit http://www.austintexas.gov/transit.

MetroBus speeds declined slowly between 2016 and 2019, then improved slightly between 2020 and 2021 before declining slightly in 2022. Contributing factors include congestion and changing traffic patterns due to the Covid19 pandemic. MetroBus routes are the neighborhood routes with frequent stops that serve as the underlying base of the transit network. The service includes 10 High-Frequency routes and connect to all other CapMetro services.

MetroRapid speeds have experienced modest volatility over the period from 2016 to 2022. Contributing factors include operational and scheduling changes relating to headway management, opening of new stops along the two MetroRapid corridors, and the implementation of small infrastructure improvements such as queue jumps at traffic signals and transit priority lanes, as well as changing traffic patterns due to the Covid19 pandemic. MetroRapid routes operate on high frequencies (every 10 minutes during the week and every 15 minutes on the weekend), run until 12:30 AM from Monday – Friday, have Wi-Fi, have rear-door boarding for shorter dwell times, real-time information for exact wait times, fewer stops for faster service, bus priority lanes through downtown Austin, and transit-priority signals.

A notable improvement to MetroExpress speeds came with the opening of the MoPac Express Lanes in 2018. While service changes relating to Covid-19 did not directly impact scheduled speeds on other CapMetro routes, MetroExpress service largely went offline in March 2020 when stay-at-home orders went into effect. The few routes that remained in operation throughout FY2020 did not operate in the MoPac Express Lanes. This is the cause of the decrease in scheduled speeds observed for MetroExpress in FY2020. MetroExpress routes provide commuter bus service for North Austin and outlying areas, allowing customers to leave their cars at Park & Rides and travel into Central Austin.

Date page was last updated: June 2023