Capital Metro is looking at making some changes to bus and MetroRail commutes.

Nearly a dozen different possibilities could eliminate routes and add scheduled rides.

"A lot of people don't like change, but it's really about providing the most efficient service while still meeting customers' demands," Capital Metro spokeswoman Misty Whited said.

Buses 984 and 986 could be taken away, which provide express routes from Austin to the Leander and Lakeline stations.

The 987 bus that replaces them will run more often and include more stops.

"The 984 and 986 routes have kind of been stagnant in regards to ridership," Whited said. "On one route, there's about 45 people per day, and the other one's about 75 people, so we're seeing half-full buses coming out of those areas."

MetroRail, which goes through the Leander and Lakeline stations, and a vanpool are two other possibilities for those riders, along with bus 987.

For the past year and a half, Amanda King has taken bus 986 from her home in Leander to work in Downtown Austin and goes through just four stops total. She said with the elimination of the express route, that commute could take significantly longer.

"It takes, to get to Leander, maybe about an hour and 20 minutes and coming in the morning, it takes about 40 minutes," King said. "I'm not okay with it because they say they're cutting it for budgeting issues, but if they're going to run more 987 buses, it's basically taking the same amount of gas, maybe a little more with all the stops."

Other changes include adjusting and adding to the MetroRail schedule in hopes of attracting more riders.

"There are a lot of people that have yet to try the MetroRail. So in addition to all the changes, we're also doing as much as we can to promote and educate people about the service," Whited said.

The first of several hearings about the proposed changes is in Leander on Thursday night. They'll be voted on next month and, if approved, will take effect on Jan. 16, 2011.

The Sunset Advisory Commission Report released earlier this year showed that Capital Metro spent 39 percent of its budget on bus service in FY2009, more money than was spent anywhere else. The report also said that the cost of bus service continues to grow.

Capital Metro looks at proposing changes about three times a year in order to limit those costs and make sure resources are allocated to where they're needed most.

Officials say no jobs will be lost as a result of the changes, and that employees and resources will be shifted, not taken away from the company altogether.