Austin Area in Motion (AIM)
In 1999, Capital Metro implemented Austin Area in Motion (AIM), an initiative to develop community-based solutions to the Austin area’s transportation challenges. Capital Metro gathered citizen opinions on transit options via market research, focus groups, questionnaires, neighborhood and public meetings, a telephone hotline, and the Internet.

Consistent with the agency’s mission, AIM’s primary goal was to enable Capital Metro to maintain a leadership role in providing safe, efficient, and economical transportation services to their service area residents. Capital Metro partnered with key stakeholders, community and business leaders, and the general public in collecting baseline information and building public consensus.

Major Findings . An overwhelming portion of respondents (73%) indicated that they view Austin as a better place to live than anywhere else in the United States; however, respondents perceived recent and rapid growth as having a harmful impact on the area's quality of life. In fact, 70% of respondents perceive traffic congestion as the most serious problem resulting from the Austin area’s fast growth.

Key Market Segment Findings. The table below summarizes preferences and priorities for service improvements for four market segments: Long Commuters to Downtown, Long Commuters to Other Places, Current Riders, and Low Ratioers (households with a low person-to-vehicle ratio).The majority of Austin area residents ( 68%) supported a light rail initiative, while 29% opposed it.

Service Preferences and Improvements Segment Long Commuters to Downtown Service Frequency Preference 74% preferred bus service every 30 minutes with no transfers Service Improvement Priority Direct bus service from a park-and-ride lot that is within a 10-minute drive of their home Other Service Preferences -Safe transit stops with covered waiting areas. -Transit stop within a 5-minute walk of their home. - Transit service every 15 minutes during peak commute periods. Segment Long Commuters to Other Places Service Frequency Preference 47% preferred bus service every 30 minutes with no transfer. 44% preferred service every 15 minutes with one transfer. Service Improvement Priority Direct bus service from a park-and-ride lot that is within a 10-minute drive of their home Other Service Preferences -Transit service that operated as a taxi. -Transit stop within a 5-minute walk of their home. -Transit service every 15 minutes during peak commute periods. Segment Current Riders Service Frequency Preference 67% preferred bus service every 15 minutes with a necessary transfer Service Improvement Priority Local bus service within a two-minute walk of their home, with a transfer at a transit center. Other Service Preferences N/A Segment Low Ratioers Service Frequency Preference 55% preferred bus service every 15 minutes with a necessary transfer. Service Improvement Priority Local bus service within a two-minute walk of their home, with a transfer at a transit center. Other Service Preferences -Well-marked transit stops providing accurate route and scheduling information. -Transit stop within a 5-minute walk of their home. -Transit service every 15 minutes during peak commute periods.

In November 1999, Capital Metro submitted a New Starts Application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This application is a required step to secure future major transit capital projects federal funding. The New Starts program is a competitive process between cities from across the country. The Capital Metro project received a “Recommended” ranking, which is the highest rating that can be received for projects at the initial planning stage.

Beginning in April 2000, Capital Metro conducted a Preliminary Engineering/Environmental Impact Statement (PE/EIS) for the North/South Central and Southeast Corridors, including associated public involvement activities. On November 7, 2000 , the Austin area voters narrowly rejected by 50.5 % to 49.5% a proposed light rail system.

Envision Central Texas
Envision Central Texas was a regional visioning effort started in 2001 with a mission to assist in the public development and implementation of a regional vision addressing the growth of Central Texas , with an emphasis on land use, transportation and the environment. Results from the first-ever regional growth survey in Central Texas indicate that people are concerned that their quality of life will worsen if the region's population doubles. There was consensus throughout the five-county region that something must be done to prepare for this future growth.  Participants’ top five concerns for the region were transportation/congestion, air quality, cost of living, jobs and water quality. More than 12,000 Central Texans took the Envision Central Texas (ECT) survey online and through newspaper inserts published Oct. 6-31, 2001 .

Major Findings. Responses indicated Central Texans think quality of life would be “worse” or “much worse” if the population doubles. To address growth, they want a regional vision that:

• includes a mix of roads and public transportation to address congestion;
• preserves air quality, water availability and the Edwards Aquifer;
• encourages redevelopment while preserving open spaces;
• creates a balance of jobs throughout the region;
• maintains affordability;
• features walkable/bikeable communities; and
• preserves the character of rural communities and urban neighborhoods.

Capital Metro used all this information when it developed its first draft All Systems Go Long-Range Transit Plan, introduced to the public in May 2004.