Music, Movies, Mayhem, and the Metro

Posted by Tom Sly, New Business Development

I’m thrilled to report that, as of today, the Capital Metro Transportation Authority of Austin, Texas is the 10^th agency to become part of Google Transit Trip Planner.

Some of you may notice that we're announcing this new partnership just in time for the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival, which is taking place in Austin from March 9 to 18. And there is a reason for that...

This year, SXSW has gone carbon neutral. And thanks to the efforts of the Capital Metro team, the thousands of visitors that come to Austin for the 10-day music, film, and interactive festival can do their part to reduce carbon emissions by planning their SXSW experience using public transportation. As an added incentive for SXSW attendees, $1 day passes are available for purchase on board Capital Metro buses and provide unlimited use of Capital Metro services for an entire day.

Using Google Transit, I now know that when I arrive in Austin, I’ll be taking Capital Metro from the Airport to the Convention Center, and, from there, I’ll do my best to take in as much of the action as possible. So, if you're part of an agency that offers regular bus, light-rail, train, or ferry service, come find me amidst the movies, music, and interactive panels at SXSW, or drop the Google Transit team a line.

Update: You should also check out this awesome Google Calendar that a couple of our User Experience Designers whipped up to help themselves and other attendees visualize the SXSWi schedule.