CapMetro approves big changes to bike share fares, student discount
AUSTIN (KXAN) – CapMetro, Austin's public transit authority, announced big changes to its fare structure for the city bike share on Wednesday.
CapMetro previously offered different payment options for residents including pay-as-you-ride, a one-day pass, a 31-day pass, an annual pass, and a student discount exclusive to the University of Texas. Under the new structure, the bike share will retain all previous payment options, but with lower up-front fares and included ride times cut from 60 to 30 minutes before additional fares kick in. CapMetro will now charge $0.25 per additional minute instead of the previous $4.33 per 30 additional minutes.
Perhaps the largest change is to CapMetro's student discount. The previous discount, $12 a year for unlimited 60-minute rides, was offered exclusively to students, faculty and staff of UT. The new discount, 50% off the new annual pass, will be open to anyone enrolled in a school program, including trade schools, nursing schools and high schools.
Here's a full breakdown of the changes to bike share fares:
| Price | Pay-as-you-ride | 1-Day Pass | 31-Day Pass | Annual Pass | Student (18 & over) Discount |
| Current | $1.09 + $0.23/min | $12.99 (60mins) + $4.33 per 30min | $11 (60mins) + $4.33 per 30min | $86.60 (60mins) + $4.33 per 30min | $12 (60mins) + $4.33 per 30min |
| New | $2.50 + $0.25/min | $10 (30mins) + $0.25/min | $25 (30mins) + $0.25/min | $150 (30mins) + $0.25/min | 50% off Annual Pass |
The fare changes will take effect Aug. 1.
CapMetro said the changes provide it "an opportunity to meet the needs of customers and efficiently use our resources, ensuring the longevity of the program while still offering some of the lowest bike share fares in the country."
The city previously took feedback on the proposed changes during a public hearing on April 14.
Many respondents took issue with both the fare changes, and the reduced ride times. One commenter expressed support for the fare changes, but said the ride times should be adjusted.
A CapMetro spokesperson said on the website that 88% of bikeshare rides are no longer than 30 minutes in a response to another comment about the ride time changes.
"The Bikeshare system is designed as a first- and last-mile system, and most of our customers use it as such," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said fares haven't seen major changes since 2013, and the updates were needed to ensure the program remains sustainable.
The new fares are the latest changes to CapMetro's bike share system. The city previously announced a $21 million expansion plan for the system in February 2024. That plan included replacing and expanding the 80 MetroBike stations, 1,000 docks and 800 bicycles. It also would transition the bike share program to a fully electric-assisted fleet. At that time just 43% of CapMetro's bicycles were electric-assisted.
CapMetro began the rollout of the revamp in July 2024, with 29 stations in town. The upgrades also brought new electric-assisted bicycles, a rebrand of the system from "MetroBike" to "CapMetro Bikeshare" and a new mobile app for riders.