Standards, Specifications and Guidelines

We're proposing updates to our Service Standards and Guidelines

Proposed changes include:

  • the addition of Pickup and Bikeshare services
  • updated bus stop amenity standards
  • updated on-time performance and productivity metrics to align with operational standards

If adopted, these adjustments to the Service Standards would better match CapMetro's existing daily operations and ensure feasible implementation of the standards.​

We will include the input from the public before presenting to the CapMetro Board for adoption in January 2027.

CapMetro created guidelines for our Pickup service to ensure that it meets the needs of the community and provides a high-quality service. These Pickup service guidelines help us accomplish two important things:

  1. Decide Where to Offer Our Service: These guidelines help us figure out where we should provide Pickup service and set goals for it.
  2. Monitor How Well We're Doing: We use special measurements to check how well Pickup service is working in different areas. We look at what makes each area unique.

We operate on a framework with three main parts:

  • Community Impact: We measure how Pickup service affects the people who live there.
  • Service Quality: We check if Pickup service is working well and doing its job properly.
  • Using Resources Wisely: We make sure we're spending money and using environmental resources in a smart way.

 The Pickup Service Guidelines were adopted by CapMetro in 2021 to help us make Pickup service better.

 

The Service Standards and Guidelines are a set of policies that guide every decision in CapMetro’s service change process. Whether we are adding a new bus stop or changing a bus route, these standards inform how changes are made and how performance is evaluated. The document provides a framework for how CapMetro: 

  • Designs transit service
  • Measures performance
  • Makes changes to services

Additionally, the federal government requires transit agencies to have a set of Service Standards and Guidelines.

Service Standards and Guidelines 2023 were adopted by the CapMetro Board of Directors on June 26th,  2023.

Engage with Us

Share your public comments on our draft 2026 Service Standards and Guidelines below.

We encourage you review the changes and attend a public hearing on December 14 at noon at CapMetro Headquarters, 3100 E. 5th St. Served by Routes 2, 4, 300, 800 and Pickup East ATX.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Service Standards and Guidelines (SSG) is a federally required document. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires transit agencies with 50 or more fixed-route vehicles in peak service to document how they will monitor service performance for six indicators: vehicle load, vehicle headway, on-time performance, service availability, distribution of transit amenities and vehicle assignment.

Every three years, the six indicators are used to compare effects on protected and non-protected Title VI populations, such as minority and low-income populations. For more information, see the Service Monitoring fact sheet

The SSG is re-evaluated every three years to match the cadence of the FTA triennial audit. It is submitted to the FTA alongside other federally required reports every three years.

Pickup and Bikeshare were added to have more of our service standards in one place. While not federally required, Pickup and Bikeshare guidelines and performance metrics help guide CapMetro’s decision-making and implementation of these services. Federal requirements apply only to fixed-route services (Bus and Rail).

According to the most recent customer experience survey results, CapMetro customers identified cleanliness as a top concern at transit stops. At some locations, waste receptacles have contributed to ongoing maintenance challenges, including overflow and improper disposal, which can create unsanitary conditions.

By removing receptacles at select locations, we can better focus resources on maintaining clean stops, supporting reliable transit service and investing in amenities customers value most, such as shelters and benches.

Real-time information signage is costly to install. While some high-capacity Level 3 stations will receive it, it is unrealistic to standardize real-time information signage at all Level 3 stops and stations.

Additionally, in the 2025 customer experience survey, 93% of surveyed customers indicated that they had a smartphone with a data plan they could use to access CapMetro information. As smartphones become more common, real-time information can be placed more sparingly and only at our highly used stations.

CapMetro’s mobile real-time information has also gone through a transformation since the last SSG update. CapMetro partnered with the Transit app to provide an effective user experience when accessing real-time information about all our services.

Rail has a wider on-time performance (OTP) window because we have a predominantly single-track system, which causes some inevitable delays. The on-time window is also paired with a much higher standard of OTP (92%) than bus OTP (80%).

CapMetro is actively working on double-tracking the full Red Line alignment, which will enable a narrower definition of on-time performance in the future.

Previously, a departure even one second early was classified as early. However, reviewing historical data showed that adjusting the on-time window to 30 seconds before and 5.5 minutes after the scheduled departure does not negatively affect the customer experience. Adjusting this timeframe noticeably improved on-time performance across several routes.

The amenity distribution process was updated to reflect available data and to ensure continued compliance with federal regulatory requirements.