Texas Transit Association

Capital Metro scored well in a state-required audit of how the agency ran its bus and transit operations from late 1996 to late 2000, when the agency struggled to recover from criminal investigations.

The audit praised Capital Metro for doing more to include the public in its decisions and programs and for starting such projects as a five-year plan to revamp the bus system. The agency provided more efficient service in 2000 than in 1996, the auditors concluded.

“What it validates to me is we have a good organization here,” President/CEO Fred Gilliam said. “It also validates the fact that improvements can be made.”

The report highlights several accomplishments: * Significant ridership increases, growing 32.6% from 1996-2000 * Cost efficiency and cost effectiveness of Capital Metro operations both improved during the audit period * Capital Metro operations are significantly more cost effective than its national peers * Quality, availability, and consistency of data have markedly improved

Of the 131 requirements, Capital Metro is in full compliance with 128 requirements. The agency is in partial compliance with three requirements and corrective actions have been taken to ensure full compliance in the future.

For buses, Capital Metro ridership rose 14.4 percent from 1997 to 2001, the agency’s planners said earlier this year.

Capital Metro drew praise in the audit for keeping better records and making them more available than in the past; lowering its per-passenger costs by 13.7 percent; and allocating millions of dollars of its sales tax revenue to regional road projects.