<\/p>\n
Roy Medrano shows his day pass as he rides the CapMetro bus in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Nathaniel Richardson II rides the bus to work every day.<\/p>\n
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He\u2019s done his fair share of driving over the years. But now, he would rather watch the trees pass by through the window \u2014 one of the few quiet moments in a typical day.<\/p>\n
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Edward C\u00e1rdenas rides the CapMetro bus in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
People wait for their CapMetro bus off Pleasant Valley Road in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Roy Medrano rides the CapMetro bus in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Sunlight streams onto empty seats as a CapMetro bus travels in downtown Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
A farebox is seen on a CapMetro bus as it travels down Riverside Drive in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Capital Metro\u2019s No. 20 bus takes him straight to his job at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where he washes dishes at one of the restaurants in the terminal. When he boards, he feeds two dollar bills and two quarters into the farebox, and a glossy paper ticket pops out.<\/p>\n
That day pass is good for 24 hours, getting him to work and back \u2014 and sometimes to work again the next day, depending on his shifts.<\/p>\n
But Richardson will soon have to change that routine if he wants to keep riding the bus.<\/p>\n
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CapMetro is eliminating paper passes as it replaces fareboxes across its bus fleet, part of a broader push to modernize fare collection and move riders toward apps, reloadable cards and tap-to-pay. The change, scheduled to roll out in 2026, will end the paper day passes Richardson relies on.<\/p>\n
Transit agencies across the country are making similar shifts, replacing cash-based fare systems with digital ones to speed boarding and reduce maintenance costs. (Some systems have gone further, eliminating bus fares altogether or piloting fare-free routes.) But the move has also sparked concerns nationally about access for riders who rely on cash.<\/p>\n
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Nathaniel Richardson rides a CapMetro bus down Riverside Drive in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
CapMetro\u2019s new fareboxes \u2014 the silver machines next to the driver \u2014 will still accept cash but won\u2019t print tickets. Instead, the agency is moving toward an account-based system, where riders scan a phone app or tap a card to pay. The agency also plans to introduce tap-to-pay with credit and debit cards in the spring.<\/p>\n
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According to CapMetro Chief Experience and Engagement Officer Samantha Baez, the move upgrades fareboxes that are nearly 20 years old and simplifies the fare structure, shifting from time-based passes to pay-as-you-go \u201cfare capping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we designed it was to make sure that everyone paid what they should be paying, and hopefully no more,\u201d Baez said.<\/p>\n
Riders using an app or reloadable card won\u2019t pay more than $2.50 per day or $41.25 per month on local buses, or $7 per day or $96.25 per month on commuter buses and rail. Once they reach the cap, additional rides are free.<\/p>\n
Cash-paying riders, however, must pay for each trip individually and won\u2019t receive those savings.<\/p>\n
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A farebox, left, and digital payment system, right, are seen on a CapMetro bus as it travels down Riverside Drive in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
In December 2024, CapMetro\u2019s board unanimously approved a $6.3 million contract with Genfare LLC to replace the fareboxes. Baez said the agency could have chosen equipment that still printed day passes but opted not to because of higher maintenance costs and a shift in fare strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a strategic decision,\u201d Baez said. \u201cYou\u2019re committing to 20 years of maintenance on this piece of equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baez said a federally required equity analysis found the change would not disproportionately affect low-income or minority riders. About 3% of trips \u2014 roughly 771,000 annually \u2014 will be affected, based on CapMetro\u2019s 25.7 million yearly rides.<\/p>\n
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But Jacob Wasserman, a research program manager at UCLA\u2019s Institute of Transportation Studies, said people of color are far more likely to be cash-only transit riders.<\/p>\n
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., 6.5% of Texas households were unbanked in 2023. The rates were higher among people of color: 12.2% of Hispanic households and 8.3% of Black households, compared with 2.2% of white households.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the demographic skew of transit riders in the U.S., this kind of change is going to disproportionately affect riders of color and low-income riders who don\u2019t necessarily have a bank account,\u201d Wasserman said.<\/p>\n
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Women wait at the CapMetro bus stop off Pleasant Valley Road in Austin, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Baez acknowledged a \u201csignificant amount\u201d of riders still use day passes and said the change \u201cis significant for the folks who are using it.\u201d She encourages those riders to download the Umo app or purchase a reloadable card at retailers such as H-E-B or 7-Eleven.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe easiest and most seamless transition will be to go to Umo,\u201d Baez said.<\/p>\n
Richardson plans to do just that, even if it takes some adjustment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not good with technology, so the old-school stuff works,\u201d he said. \u201cBut whatever I\u2019ve got to do to get to work, I\u2019m going to do it. I\u2019ve got a 9-year-old son I\u2019ve got to take care of.\u201d<\/p>\n
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