24-02-2025
Austin exploring on-demand transit service for city parks, recreation sites
Editor's note: The above video is KXAN coverage from Aug. 22, 2024, on ridership totals for the free, city-run shuttles transporting visitors to Zilker Park.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council could consider a possible Pickup van service down the road to help more visitors access city parks and recreation sites.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Board will consider Monday night recommending that Austin City Council look into an on-demand transit service linking people to city parks, including Zilker Park, Vic Mathias Shores, Michael Butler Park, Roy G. Guerrero Park, Bull Creek Park and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The draft recommendation proposed a shared-ride van service that people can request using their phone or an app.
The proposal comes after city officials have run a shuttle service at Zilker Park over the past several years, with pickup and drop-off locations bridging Zilker with One Texas Center.
The draft language discussed ongoing parking capacity problems at city parks on busier days for those traveling via personal vehicles. Should the board approve the recommendation and council green light it as proposed, the on-demand system would offer direct transit from a rider's location to various parks, similar to CapMetro Pickup service operations.
Currently, many Austin parks are only accessible via fixed route bus schedules, the recommendation said, minimizing public transit access. Existing CapMetro Pickup services are also only permitted to operate within their designated zones, with board officials noting on-demand fleets can help support work and recreation commutes.
It would also come in at a lower cost point than instituting a fixed-route service, the recommendation noted, given that Pickup doesn't require physical infrastructure outside of the vans used in the fleet. Should council pursue the plan under the same structure as CapMetro Pickup, those operations cost $1.25 a ride, while children ride for free.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Board will discuss the item Monday, with the board meeting beginning at 6 p.m. More details on the proposal and other issues on the agenda are outlined online.
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