Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, operating as Capital Metro, is a not-for-profit public transit agency based in Austin, Texas that receives federal grants as a prime recipient for transit capital and operating assistance, serving over 1.26 million residents across the Austin metropolitan region. CapMetro competes exclusively under federal transit grant programs and does not hold federal contracts; the agency's federal footprint comprises 131 prime grants (96% of recent awards) and 5 sub-awards, with combined obligated dollars of $1.92 billion across 136 awards in the past several years.

CapMetro's federal grant portfolio is dominated by the Federal Transit Administration, which accounts for 114 awards covering complementary ADA paratransit services, preventive maintenance on vehicles and facilities, and capital procurement of zero-emission buses. Representative prime grants include a $61.581 million Urbanized Area Formula (CFDA 20.507) award on July 14, 2026, for ADA paratransit, preventive maintenance, and replacement 40-foot hybrid diesel-electric buses; a $59.9 million Section 5307 award on August 27, 2025, for similar activities; a $20 million Buses and Bus Facilities Program grant (CFDA 20.526) on March 27, 2024, to construct the Springdale Demand Response Operations and Maintenance Facility; and a $30.855 million Section 5309 Small Starts award on February 6, 2023, for the Austin Expo Center Bus Rapid Transit project including 43 bus pads, 22 stations, and 16 battery-electric vehicles. CapMetro also received a $1.5 million Federal Transit Capital Investment Grants award (CFDA 20.500) on August 28, 2025, for planning and design of transit-oriented development at Crestview Station, and two Cooperative Agreements (CFDA 20.945) from the Department of Transportation's Immediate Office of the Secretary for innovative finance and asset concession work, totaling $2 million and running through 2030.

The Federal Transit Administration accounts for over 83% of CapMetro's recent award count, with secondary federal partners including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (seven awards related to emergency relief and security), the Federal Railroad Administration (four awards for rail infrastructure), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (one award). The agency's federal customer concentration is extreme: FTA awards comprise the vast majority of both volume and obligated dollars, while FEMA and the Secretary of Transportation's office provide smaller, specialized funding streams. CapMetro holds sub-recipient positions on five federal grants flowing through the Texas Division of Emergency Management for rail infrastructure work in Burnet and Williamson counties and bridge rehabilitation at multiple mile posts, and serves as the pass-through entity for Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities grants (CFDA 20.513), distributing funds to subrecipient organizations including Age of Central Texas, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, Capital Area Rural Transportation System, Drive a Senior, Faith in Action Georgetown, and City of Austin Parks and Recreation.

CapMetro's strategic capability focus centers on zero-emission bus fleet transition, transit-oriented development planning, rail infrastructure modernization including Positive Train Control installation on the MetroRail Red Line, and equitable mobility access for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income communities. The agency obligated $1.92 billion across its awards — a figure that reflects the capital-intensive nature of transit operations and infrastructure investment — with nine awards reaching completion inside the next twenty-four months. Performance is based in Texas, with operations centered in Austin and subordinate facilities at bus yards, rail stations, and maintenance operations across the metro area.