New Late-Night Service in Austin
Capital Metro will begin Night Owl service for downtown party-goers as well as late-night shift workers
New late-night bus routes are good for Austin
Editorial Board, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, August 21, 2003
It’s 2 a.m. Saturday on Sixth Street and you’ve been partying. You know you shouldn’t drive, but you don’t see a cab or have the money to pay for one. What to do?
Hop aboard a Capital Metro bus. The last buses going north and south leave at 3:10 a.m. The transit company began operating its Night Owl buses along three new routes this week. The buses run from early morning Tuesday to early morning Sunday.
Capital Metro officials said the purpose of the new routes is to help employees who work the midnight shift or later in downtown bars and restaurants, and for overnight workers who rely on bus service to commute to work. But the shuttles also can serve as designated drivers for people who drink and don’t want to risk driving.
The transit authority also added new nighttime routes for its free Dillo buses along downtown routes. Starting today, that service runs from 6 p.m. Thursdays to 3 a.m. Sundays. Previously, the last Dillo rides ended at 8 p.m. The new bus routes and the extended Dillo hours are good for business.
Late-night Dillo service, mainly downtown and along South Congress Avenue, provides visitors who stay in downtown hotels free transportation to Austin’s entertainment district. Downtown business owners think people will be more inclined to leave their hotels at night, knowing they have a reliable, affordable and uncomplicated means of returning to their hotels. We agree.
But anyone can, and should, take advantage of the service. As Austinites can attest, parking is a headache downtown. With the new extended service, people can park their cars north of downtown in state parking garages along San Jacinto or Trinity streets, then catch the Dillo nearby and ride for free. They can take in a live show or play at one of Austin’s theaters, dine on West Sixth Street or in SoCo (South Congress) and sample Austin’s nightlife by riding the Dillo to downtown clubs or bars.
Capital Metro also is offering two nighttime buses that target University of Texas students. One connects UT’s West Campus to downtown and the other runs between Riverside Drive and downtown.
It’s too early to tell whether the new routes and extended hours will lure significant numbers of riders to Capital Metro buses. But one thing is certain: Capital Metro is doing exactly what it should be in designing routes that accommodate working people who rely on public transportation and extending hours to help boost business downtown.