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Cedar Park approves letter of interest for Red Line Parkway TxDOT grant application; vote 6-1
Summary
Council authorized submission of a letter of interest for a TxDOT Transportation Alternatives grant to fund a Red Line Parkway planning and scoping study; council vote was 6–1 in favor.
The Cedar Park City Council voted 6–1 on June 12 to authorize a letter of interest for a TxDOT Transportation Alternatives call for projects related to the Red Line Parkway, a proposed regional trail that follows CapMetro's rail alignment and would connect Leander, Cedar Park and Austin.
Randy Skinner (Engineering Capital Projects) summarized that the TxDOT program funds planning and construction of alternatives to motorized travel. Tom Walden, representing the Red Line Parkway initiative, told the council the CapMetro Red Line Trail Study (completed last year) provided a regional framework but did not fully detail alignments or community engagement; the TxDOT grant would fund a community vision plan and implementation strategy, including alignment, stakeholder engagement and a funding plan.
Walden and several councilmembers described the project as complex because it passes through multiple jurisdictions and rail right-of-way, but they said the corridor presents opportunities for north-south active-transportation connections that Cedar Park currently lacks. Staff noted the city has not allocated construction funds for the corridor and that any eventual building would likely be phased and multi-jurisdictional.
Councilmembers asked questions about right-of-way continuity, potential funding mechanisms, and whether the grant would only fund a scoping/planning study. Walden confirmed the TxDOT Transportation Alternatives grant would support a scoping study and community-engagement work to help qualify future federal funding for construction.
After public comments supporting the study and regional coordination, a motion to approve the letter of interest carried 6–1. The council emphasized that authorizing the letter does not commit Cedar Park to construction funding; instead, it allows the city to participate in a planning process that could position the corridor for future multi-jurisdictional funding opportunities.
Ending: Staff will submit the letter of interest and participate in the planning grant process if selected; later design and construction will require separate approvals and identified funding sources.
