Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas | El Sindicato de Pasajeros

La Lucha Sigue! Capital Metro wants to double bus rates again

- Tell Capital Metro to eliminate, not raise, bus fares!

Read our stance on the 'Dillo cuts

How It Would Work

All buses, vanpools, and trains would be fare-free. Passengers would simply board without paying any fare through the front and back doors.

Fares are paid by those who need buses to get to work and home, and they are only a very small fraction of Capital Metro's budget.

Transportation costs usually cost working people the second most amount of their monthly paycheck, after housing costs.

The effects of fare-free policy would be easier access to buses, getting people out of their cars and into buses. Also, bus performance would increase because riders won't have to scrounge for change. This would reduce congestion for cars, buses, ambulances, and fire trucks too.

Free buses would also improve our decreasing air quality. Less cars means less emissions for the growing Austin area.

As bus riders, we are the true owners of the bus company in town. Taxes pay for 80% of Capital Metro's budget. Eliminating the small amount of money that fares make up would provide much, much larger benefits than just not paying for buses: buses and cars would be faster, air quality would improve, Capital Metro could cut back on unnecessary spending, and working people could get to work and home faster. It is time that we show them that we want a better bus company.

Read the Bus Riders Union's full proposal on their website, www.busatx.org. Or give us a call at 220.8227 and we can talk to you about it. Our meetings happen at least once each month.