Austin’s MetroBike to Undergo Major Revamp this Summer

Coming this July, Austin’s much-used bike rental program, MetroBike, is set to temporarily halt operations for a substantial overhaul. The service is set to resume in mid-July under the name CapMetro Bikeshare, sporting new stations, e-bikes, and a dedicated app. It’s part of a larger vision to expand the initiative citywide.

Council-Approved Strategic Expansion

The service’s renewal signals a part of a larger strategic plan that will see the number of stations grow from the current 76 to over 300 over the next decade. The fleet of rental bicycles will also be electrified. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has committed in an advance funding agreement to contribute some $11.3 million in grant funds and $2.8 million in local funds to the initiative. The Council approved this deal in their last meeting on May 30.

Transition Period and Future Outlook

As part of the transformation, MetroBike will pause operations during the summer. The program will be resumed once stations at the University of Texas at Austin are reinstalled. Nadia Barrera-Ramirez, the Cross-Agency Transit and Mobility Programs manager at Capital Metro, revealed a target date of mid-July for the renovations, with ongoing installations throughout the summer. Within this period, memberships and day passes will be temporarily suspended.

Feedback on the transformation has highlighted the public’s desire for more docking stations and a higher number of electric bikes. Some have showed interest in using these bikes for leisurely exploration of Austin, while others view it as a convenient mode of transport for getting to school or linking with other modes of transportation.

Expansion Around the City and Dockless Bikes

Austin Council Member Zo Qadri expressed his excitement over the expansion of docking stations throughout the city. The anticipation is that the next round of stations will be established by the spring of 2025.

However, the question of incorporating dockless bikes into the public bikeshare system was raised by Council Member Paige Ellis, citing areas in her District 8 that lack stations. Yet, Barrera-Ramirez expressed the current reluctance to include dockless options due to organizational and security reasons. Meanwhile, the city is exploring dockless options outside of the MetroBike program and is in the process of applying for a climate pollution reduction grant that could fund mobility hubs.

Public Input on the Expansion

The public is invited to share their views on this stage of the expansion through a virtual open house, open until June 16. Detailed information is available on the publicinput.com/metrobike platform. Despite donors occasionally being featured in reports, editorial and business efforts are carefully kept separate to maintain transparency. The Austin Monitor is committed to complying with a fully transparent code of ethics.