Regional transit provider CARTS to add Llano County service starting March 3; county will receive on-demand, fixed and coach routes

The Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) will begin providing rural transit services in Llano County on March 3, CARTS’ community engagement director told the Llano City Council.

Peter Jones, county commissioner for Precinct 1, introduced the proposal and said Llano County has been moved into CARTS' service district after reorganization of the prior rural transit entity. Dana Platt, CARTS community director for community engagement, said the county will become the 10th member of the CARTS district and that the agency plans to station four county buses locally.

Platt described several service types CARTS will offer in Llano County: a county “country bus” on-demand curb-to-curb service that riders can reserve by phone (24-hour advance preferred, same-day rides available depending on demand); a dial-a-ride or on-demand service in certain municipalities designed to provide trips within 15 minutes; fixed interurban coach routes that connect rural stops to Austin and to regional hubs such as Marble Falls; and a planned multimodal trip-planning app that will show CARTS services alongside other options.

CARTS said the county service will be wheelchair accessible, will accommodate service animals and personal-care attendants, and will allow bikes. The agency offered a 90-day free-ride promotional period for Llano County riders; after the introductory period fares were described as distance-based (examples given of roughly $2, $4 or $6 depending on trip length). CARTS also said seniors aged 65 and older will ride the country-bus service at no charge through a partnership with the local area agency on aging.

Platt said CARTS has absorbed the local drivers from the previous provider and plans to work with them to adapt service to community needs; the first seven months will be used to assess demand and adjust schedules and service types. She also said CARTS is not a school-transportation provider and does not intend to replace school bus services; school-related ridership strains were cited as a reason other systems limited student use.

Councilmembers asked about vehicle staging, fares and coordination with neighboring services. Platt said buses would be stationed in Llano County, that CARTS already runs routes into Marble Falls and neighboring counties, and that discounted voucher programs are available for social-service agencies to provide passes to clients.

The presentation closed with staff and councilmembers encouraging community partners to help spread the word about the service, and CARTS said riders can book rides beginning the day service starts.