Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.

The CEO of Austin’s Capital Metro (CapMetro) is leaving the Texas capital to take over the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), reports Nathan Bernier for KUT. “During his four years at CapMetro, Clarke oversaw the transit agency's biggest overhaul to the city's bus route system. He presided over the agency as Austin voters in November 2020 authorized the single-largest expansion of transit in the city's history.” The bus system redesign implemented in 2019 boosted ridership prior to the pandemic.

Clarke’s exit leaves two major agencies without permanent heads. “The Austin Transit Partnership — a local government agency created to oversee Project Connect — voted last month to remove Clarke as CEO after a consultant's report recommended a change in governance structure. An interim director was named during the search for a permanent replacement.” The article continues, “And now Capital Metro, which has been struggling to keep routes running on time amid a driver shortage, will be without an executive.”