davidvoegtle.net

The Austin Chronicle: News: Cap Metro Cancels Shuttle Services: What’s going on? Cap Metro says it is retreating in fear of federal guidelines enacted in 2005, in response to special-interest lobbying by the private-charter bus industry. Basically, the private sector didn’t want any charter-service competition from transit agencies, and the current administration capitulated. This spring, the feds clarified a precise definition of charter service, stimulating the recent Cap Metro withdrawal. “Under the new policy by the Federal Transit Admini stra tion that took effect April 30, public agencies cannot operate charter bus service if private charter companies are interested and available to provide the service,” stated a July 17 media release from Capital Metro.

Wow. Having attended the ACL Music Festival for the last several years and having seen the many thousands of people who relied on the Cap Metro shuttles for transport to and from public lots (Zilker Park has limited on-site parking for such a large event, and the only large public parking garages are a couple of miles away), I can’t imagine how ACL is going to pull off the even this year without major disruptions.

Cap Metro provided dozens of busses, running more or less continuously over a 12 to 14 hour period each of three days. Is there a local charter service that has that kind of capacity?

Additionally, without an efficient shuttle system to downtown parking, local neighborhoods are sure to see a dramatic increase in festival parking on their streets. This has already been a source of frustration for many residents around the Zilker Park area. I hope the city and Cap Metro are able to come up with a solution in time for to the festival, now less than two months away.