The Drinks Issue: Guide to Getting Home Safely

Put somebody else in the driver's seat with these transpo options

By Eilish O'Sullivan, 7:00AM, Fri. Jul. 13, 2018

With Austin’s abundance of transportation options, there’s no excuse for drinking and driving. With our handy transportation guide, you can enjoy your night out without the worry of how you’re going to get home.

Ridesharing

RideAustin is a local nonprofit helping other local nonprofits. You can choose to round up your fare to the nearest dollar and donate to a local charity of your choice. RideAustin currently has four different vehicle types in their app you can choose from: standard, SUV (6 passenger vehicles), premium, and luxury. Regular riders pay 99 cents per mile and 20 cents per minute with a $1.50 base fare fee (there's a $4 ride minimum). SUV, Premium, and Luxury rates are $2.00 to $3.75 per mile. The app is available on both iOS and Android devices.

After Uber’s year long hiatus away from the city, the ride-hailing company came back to Austin in 2017. Uber gives you six different ways to ride, from regular to large vehicles, as well as wheelchair accessible and luxury rides. The company also has its UberPool, where you can share rides with other users going to the same destination to cut costs. Get a fare estimate here.

Lyft also left Austin along with its ride-hailing counterpart and came back around the same time. Like Uber, it also has six ride types to choose from, each holding one to six passengers with varying fares. Get a fare estimate here.

InstaRyde gives Austin customers the option of choosing four- or six-passenger vehicles with varying fares. Unlike most other TNCs, InstaRyde allows riders to choose their preferred route.

zTrip gives you the option to ride in a private black car or taxi around Austin. Through the app, you choose to ride now or later. And, if you're riding in a taxi, you can pay with either a credit card or with cash.

Hit happy hour too hard? If you’re close enough to a pickup stop and it’s still prime commuting hours, the 14-seater shuttle service Chariot is an option.

Taxis

Austin Cab Company: 512/478-2222

Lone Star Cab: 512/836-4900

Yellow Cab Austin: 512/452-9999

Austin Express Cab: 512/666-4141

ATX Co-op Taxi: 512/333-5555

Electric Cab of Austin: 512/900-7734

Public Transportation

Capital Metro – Austin's multimodal public transit system – is the easiest way to explore Downtown and the greater Austin area on the cheap. Single rides start at $1.25 (transfers not included), while day passes run as little as $2.50. You can buy tickets online, at most grocery stores, or through the CapMetro app, which also gives you up-to-date travel information.

There's also MetroRapid, Capital Metro's express bus service. There are only two rapid buses – Route 801 and Route 803 – that run between North Austin and South Austin. Rapid buses run every 10 minutes during peak weekday hours and every 15 minutes on the weekend. MetroRapid costs the same as regular CapMetro buses – $1.25 for a single ride, $2.50 for a day pass, $11.25 for a 7-day pass, and $41.25 for a 31-day pass.

MetroRail is a 26-mile line that runs between Leander and Downtown Austin during the week, and from Lakeline to Downtown on Saturdays. It drops off outside the Austin Convention Center on Fourth Street between Neches and Trinity streets and costs $3.50 per ride.

Buses typically stop running around midnight, but Cap Metro offers Night Owl and E-bus services in any late-night pinch. Night Owl buses run every 20-30 minutes from midnight until 3:30am, Monday through Saturday. You can catch a late-night bus from East Sixth Street and Congress Avenue to neighborhoods in North and South Austin. Single rides are $1.25. The E-bus operates Thursday through Saturday from 8:30pm-3am during the fall and spring semesters at the University of Texas. It picks up on East Sixth and Colorado streets and drops off on the main UT campus, West Campus and Riverside Drive. E-bus single rides are also $1.25; UT students, faculty, and staff ride for free (just remember to bring your UT ID).

Check www.capmetro.org or call the GO Line at 512/474-1200 for more info.