Sunlight streams onto empty seats as a CapMetro bus travels in downtown Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Capital Metro next week will implement the first of its thrice-yearly service adjustments, including significant changes to two of the transit agency’s bus routes.
The agency is realigning Route 485, known as the Night Owl Cameron, and Route 935, known as the Tech Ridge Express.
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Most of the changes start Sunday, but CapMetro has already tweaked pickup zones in Manor and Lago Vista as part of its regular January service changes. The agency typically makes adjustments three times each year in response to ridership data and to align service with school calendars.
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Night Owl Route 485 will shift to East Seventh Street
The Night Owl route, which runs from midnight to 3 a.m., will now travel primarily along the East Seventh Street corridor rather than Rosewood Avenue. It will bypass Central East Austin, instead serving the Govalle neighborhood, the Eastside Bus Plaza and the heart of the Mueller neighborhood.
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A map shows the new alignment of CapMetro Route 485. The change starts Jan. 11.
CapMetro
CapMetro Senior Planner Jordan McGee told the agency’s board in October that the change adds late-night bus service to and from the Sixth Street entertainment district, as well as a connection for early morning Greyhound departures, while eliminating underutilized overnight service in Central East Austin.
“This realignment provides a near-term opportunity to close the gap, support the city’s entertainment district and improve regional connectivity,” McGee said.
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Tech Ridge Express Route 935 will move to MoPac express lanes
The Tech Ridge Express, a commuter line that connects the Tech Ridge Park and Ride in North Austin with downtown and the University of Texas, will start using the MoPac express lane rather than Interstate 35, which McGee said will reduce travel times by avoiding construction-related traffic on the interstate while it undergoes a major expansion through the heart of Austin.
A map shows the new alignment of CapMetro Route 935. The change starts Jan. 11.
CapMetro
The change, she said, will “assist with transportation demand management and reduce congestion associated with the I-35 project.” She noted that CapMetro’s plan is to eventually return the route to I-35 when construction winds down in the coming years and HOV lanes open along the corridor.
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The realignment also eliminates service to the now-defunct TxDOT Riverside Campus, which sees almost no ridership, McGee said.
In addition to the adjustments to fixed bus routes, CapMetro also expanded two of its on-demand pickup zones in October.
The Lago Vista zone now includes the neighborhood bounded by Boggy Ford Road to the north, Newton Drive to the west and MacArthur Avenue to the east. The Manor pickup zone was expanded to add The Darby apartment complex and The Grand at Manor apartments.
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Additional changes coming next week include more afternoon trips on the Rapid 801 route to account for high demand, two additional evening trips on Route 271 and minor trip time adjustments on a variety of other routes.
The CapMetro board unanimously approved all of the changes at its October meeting.