BY HALEY MCLEOD
Items worth mentioning
Managing the impact
Beyond lling immediate service gaps, CapMetro is making long-term investments in infrastructure for a more integrated network. In early November, the agency broke ground on its North Burnet Uptown Station along the MetroRail Red Line, which will function as transit-oriented development, or TOD. TODs are designed to create compact, mixed- use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods centered around multimodal transit hubs. By linking rail with high-frequency bus routes, it cuts transfers and shortens travel times— directly beneting lower-income commuters who often face long, complicated commuter trips, CapMetro ocials said. Project Connect corridors are already attracting
The cast of characters that riders can encounter can range from interesting to scary, said Steve Crossland, Austin resident and regular CapMetro rider. “[Public transit] does have a little bit more of a perceived safety issue,” Crossland said. Watkins emphasized that public transit must not only be safe but also feel safe for it to become a regular option for all residents. In 2021, CapMetro launched a three-pronged public safety program that remains rooted in a community-centered approach, said Gardner Tabon, executive vice president of systemwide accessibility and chief safety o- cer at CapMetro. The in-house Transit Police Department launched this summer currently consists of 14 active ocers. Safety personnel split time roughly 50/50 between proactive “directed patrols” in identied areas with recurring issues and reactive responses to calls for service, Tabon said. Since launching the public safety ini- tiative, the agency has seen a “leveling o” eect in the number of public safety incidents, Tabon said.
The South Congress Transit Center is being designed as a mobility and mixed-use hub.
developers that build housing, oces and enter- tainment destinations, resulting in neighborhoods designed for transit riders, agency ocials said. City-level policy changes—like the removal of parking minimums in 2023 and the introduction of new TOD zoning overlays in 2024—are helping expand this approach citywide.
Central Texas commuting trends
Keep in mind
2019 trends
2024 trends
10% 15% 20% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80%
As the culture shifts away from being car-centric, the demand for high-density development around infrastructure will become prevalent, said Lonny Stern, executive director of Central Texas multimodal transportation planning nonpro t Movability. “We need to allow a little bit more commercial in our neighborhoods. We need to make sure that when we build multifamily, it’s walkable,” Stern said. “... We need to make sure that there’s shade structures and trees ... so that if you’re 8 or 80, you enjoy walking around the neighborhood.”
“We are less inclined, when there’s not a crime taking place, to criminalize individuals that are in our system. We’d rather try to
0% 5%
nd them a positive path.” GARDNER TABON, CAPMETRO EVP OF SYSTEMWIDE ACCESSIBILITY AND CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER
Drive alone
Work from home
Public transit
Bike Walk Carpool
SOURCE: MOVABILITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
Exhibition On View October 18, 2025 – March 8, 2026
F O OR ADIE'S FILY T Y URS, TAK Y U FO SORTIN U W L OK F RWD TO SRVI Y U! URS, SORTIN U
T. rex: The Ultimate Predator is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).
The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.
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Maudie’s Tex-Mex
Illustration by Zhao Chuang; courtesy of PNSO
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SOUTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION
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