Simple question: If you’re running a transit agency, shouldn’t you plan ahead for big public events? If you said “yes,” then you have more foresight than Capital Metro.
Last night, I hustled out of my final SXSW showcase of the night, trying to make sure I caught the 2:10am 481 Night Owl bus back to my north central home. I needn’t have bothered – the crowd waiting for the 2:10 was so enormous that when it finally arrived (20 minutes late), I couldn’t board. I hoped that the next bus, the 2:40, would actually be on time. No such luck – it finally showed just before 3am, and I barely squeezed on. A handful of people weren’t so lucky, left on the sidewalk.
Even unluckier were those further up the route, who stood with their mouths hanging open, watching the filled-to-capacity bus pass them by and leaving them in the 50-degree chill. This didn’t just include partiers – at UT, we just barely managed to squeeze on a couple of staffers, probably custodial workers, who said they had been waiting more than two hours for a bus that would let them board. Chronicle staffer Richard Whittaker ended up walking 40 blocks home.
The crowds were so bad at the Sixth and Congress starting point of the route that Austin police had to be called in for crowd control.
Let’s think: St. Patrick’s Day plus first day of SXSW Music – maybe you should schedule additional buses?
I wish this was a rare occurrence, but we’ve experienced similar inadequate scheduling and intra-agency communication before, for events like the Austin Marathon, Eeyore’s Birthday, and New Year’s Eve. C’mon guys – I know the agency is cash-strapped, but couldn’t planning for the big occasions be planned into the budget?
[UPDATE] Capital Metro has informed the Chronicle that it will have extra buses on standby tonight, and supervisors will monitor the crowds and see if they need to be rolled out.
This article appears in March 12 • 2010.