Riders and advocates press CapMetro on MetroAccess reliability and e-bike enforcement
June 22, 2026 | Austin, Travis County, Texas
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Two members of the public and a rider advocate used the board’s public-comment period on June 22 to press CapMetro staff on paratransit reliability, transparency and enforcement of bicycle rules on Metrorail.
Cynthia Washington said she has been a MetroAccess rider for 17 years and described repeated failures since January, including being left at a bingo hall and missed trips that she said contributed to a hospitalization. "I have reported numerous complaints... I happen to be blind and hearing impaired... I do harshly blame MetroAccess for my hospitalization," she said. The chair and staff committed to follow up; the chair said he and the CEO would work with staff and named staff (Art Jackson) to address the incidents and provide a written explanation of corrective steps.
Brett Marler, a regular Metrorail rider, asked the board to clarify objective standards for allowing bicycles and oversized e-bikes on trains, noting some modern e-bikes are too heavy or wide for existing bike racks and can obstruct aisles and seating. "If a bicycle cannot reasonably be secured using the infrastructure that Capital Metro has provided for bicycles, what criteria determine whether it should be permitted on board?" he asked. Staff asked Marler to meet with Chief Safety Officer Gardner Tabon for follow-up.
Later in the meeting, Zenobia Joseph raised equity and transparency concerns for Northeast Austin neighborhoods, saying infrastructure and real-time information are lacking at some stops and characterizing the agency’s public presentations as "misrepresenting" progress for certain communities. She said the agency is not delivering equitable service and called superficial improvements "photo ops," adding that disinvestment in the Northeast was evident in the field.
Board members and staff acknowledged the concerns and offered to follow up with riders and staff; CapMetro said staff would reach out to complainants and report back with steps taken.
Cynthia Washington said she has been a MetroAccess rider for 17 years and described repeated failures since January, including being left at a bingo hall and missed trips that she said contributed to a hospitalization. "I have reported numerous complaints... I happen to be blind and hearing impaired... I do harshly blame MetroAccess for my hospitalization," she said. The chair and staff committed to follow up; the chair said he and the CEO would work with staff and named staff (Art Jackson) to address the incidents and provide a written explanation of corrective steps.
Brett Marler, a regular Metrorail rider, asked the board to clarify objective standards for allowing bicycles and oversized e-bikes on trains, noting some modern e-bikes are too heavy or wide for existing bike racks and can obstruct aisles and seating. "If a bicycle cannot reasonably be secured using the infrastructure that Capital Metro has provided for bicycles, what criteria determine whether it should be permitted on board?" he asked. Staff asked Marler to meet with Chief Safety Officer Gardner Tabon for follow-up.
Later in the meeting, Zenobia Joseph raised equity and transparency concerns for Northeast Austin neighborhoods, saying infrastructure and real-time information are lacking at some stops and characterizing the agency’s public presentations as "misrepresenting" progress for certain communities. She said the agency is not delivering equitable service and called superficial improvements "photo ops," adding that disinvestment in the Northeast was evident in the field.
Board members and staff acknowledged the concerns and offered to follow up with riders and staff; CapMetro said staff would reach out to complainants and report back with steps taken.
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