CapMetro bike racks are seen empty at Republic Square Park in Austin on June 3.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Capital Metro’s electric bicycle rental service is set to return in August, more than two months after a fire forced it offline, but the Bikeshare service will still be limited through at least the end of the year as agency leaders work to replace uninsured equipment.
The phased return will prioritize stations around the University of Texas, which represents about 60% of the service’s demand, according to CapMetro Chief Operating Officer Andrew Skabowski. All Bikeshare stations will reopen beginning Aug. 11, but only about 150 e-bikes — less than a third of the fleet — will return to the racks by Aug. 18.
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The May 23 fire significantly damaged a CapMetro operations facility in South Austin, wiping out the batteries and charging infrastructure that powered the city’s shared bicycle fleet. Skabowski said CapMetro will restore service using a temporary charging solution while the agency works to replace the damaged equipment.
Instead of charging the bikes at the central facility, CapMetro workers will move the bikes to electrified docking stations that charge the batteries in the field as needed. Customers can still dock bikes at any station, but because of the limited availability, the agency is encouraging them to check the Bikeshare app before heading out.
MORE: Austin riders turn to Lime, Bird scooters after CapMetro Bikeshare suspension
CapMetro Bikeshare electric bicycles are stored outside a South Austin CapMetro facility on June 8 after a May 23 fire damaged batteries and charging equipment there, prompting the agency to suspend Austin’s Bikeshare service.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CapMetro Bikeshare electric bicycles are stored outside a South Austin CapMetro facility on June 8 after a fire in May damaged batteries and charging equipment at the facility. CapMetro shut down Austin’s bikeshare system following the fire.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CapMetro Bikeshare electric bicycles are stored outside a South Austin CapMetro facility on June 8 after a May 23 fire damaged bike batteries and charging equipment at the facility. CapMetro shut down Austin’s bikeshare system following the fire.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
CapMetro Bikeshare electric bicycles are stored outside a South Austin CapMetro facility on June 8 after a May 23 fire damaged bike batteries and charging equipment at the facility. CapMetro shut down Austin’s bikeshare system following the fire.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
As of early June, only 12 of 84 docking stations were capable of charging the bikes. CapMetro and the city of Austin, which jointly operate the service, have since added additional charging stations, including two on the UT campus, the agency said.
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Since most of the stations are not powered, CapMetro crews would typically relocate the batteries to the warehouse for charging. That’s why the fire was so disruptive, Skabowski said. It destroyed a quarter of the batteries and most of the chargers, along with tools, repair supplies and office space.
“We just couldn’t keep going,” Skabowski said.
The warehouse, located at East Ben White Boulevard and Judson Road, caught fire around 10 p.m. on May 23. Multiple 911 callers reported heavy white smoke coming from the building, and when Austin firefighters arrived, they found smoke pouring out of the eaves.
Once firefighters were able to knock down the flames and clear the smoke, they found the seat of the blaze in a storage room “full of batteries, most of which were probably e-bike batteries,” according to an incident report.
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A CapMetro facility on East Ben White Boulevard is boarded up in Austin on Monday, June 8 after a May 23 fire damaged bike batteries and charging equipment at the facility. CapMetro shut down Austin’s bikeshare system following the fire.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The report doesn’t list a cause, and CapMetro officials have declined to say what might have caused the fire.
CapMetro hired engineering firm Rimkus to conduct a forensic investigation, which Skabowski said is wrapping up. Although the investigative report has not yet been finished, Skabowski said the agency has already gleaned lessons from it.
Though CapMetro leaders hope to accelerate the Bikeshare restoration process, the system won’t be operating at full capacity until at least the end of the year. The agency has been cleaning up the mess at its warehouse and is looking to acquire a temporary work trailer to replace the lost space for now, Skabowski said.
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“As we get additional chargers and as we get our infrastructure acquired and installed, we’re going to move and deploy more and more bikes,” Skabowski said.
CapMetro Bikeshare electric bicycles are stored outside a South Austin CapMetro facility on June 8 after a May 23 fire damaged bike batteries and charging equipment at the facility. CapMetro shut down Austin’s bikeshare system following the fire.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Skabowski said CapMetro and the city will have to pay out of pocket to replace the batteries, chargers and other equipment. The agency’s insurance covers damage to the building, but not its contents, he said.
“With our partners in the city, we’ll be purchasing the batteries required for the bikes,” Skabowski said. “Then as far as stuff that we did lose, like the office space or the tools and equipment, we’re going to be buying that over time as we need to move forward and bring the services back up.
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“It is an expense, and it is budgeted for next year.”
Skabowski said CapMetro staff will consider whether to insure the equipment when negotiating its next policy.
In the meantime, customers who hold an annual pass will automatically receive an extension to their membership to make up for the service suspension. Prorated refunds are also available by emailing bikeshare@capmetro.org.
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