Cap Metro has locked down a freebie for Austin's unhoused frequenters of city buses and trains. In a charitable move, the transportation authority's board has greenlit a two-year smart transit pass for those without a roof over their heads, as reported by the Austin Monitor.
With temperatures hitting sky-high levels last summer, advocates from the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance took to the streets, pushing hard for better access to public transit for the unhoused. Following the uproar, the board came together, devising a plan and launching a trial run of the pass earlier this year, giving out a hefty number of over 18,000 to service providers, according to Edna Parra, Cap Metro's manager of community engagement and involvement as told to the Austin Monitor.
Board Member Eric Stratton praised the quick work of the Capital Metro team, declaring the program a triumph for all kinds of stakeholders. "This is a win-win overall," he said, as per information obtained by the Austin Monitor.
These transit lifelines are already seeing action, with 4,318 cards soaking up usage and facilitating north of 101,000 local rides from the first of October to early December. Wrapped up in the program's reach are bus, rapid, pickup, and access services. Each card, linked to the Homeless Management Information System, offers a direct line to invaluable mobility for the city's most vulnerable. Eligible users need to be signed up with and receive services from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition's HMIS system.
The financial burden? Nonexistent. Catherine Walker, Capital Metro's chief financial and risk officer clarified to board members, "This pass is at no cost to the riders or to the service providers," a revelation by the Austin Monitor pointed out.
