Cedar Park board reviews $5.5 million in project requests — paths, pedestrian safety, parks and gap-program funding

City staff presented a package of proposed community and mobility projects to the City of Cedar Park Type B board on June 10, asking the board to review six prioritized applications that together total $5.5 million in requested Type B funds.

Fran Erwin, director of communications and engagement, said the proposals were vetted against city strategic goals, master plans and the capital improvement plan and would return next month for the board's formal funding decisions.

Shared-use path — Lakeline Boulevard: Randy Skinner, assistant director of engineering capital projects, said staff requested up to $750,000 as the local match for construction after the project won a Transportation Alternatives set-aside award of $7.5 million. “We were awarded 7 and a half million for this project,” Skinner said. The path is planned as an 8–10 foot shared-use path running roughly four miles from New Hope Drive to Little Elm Trail; design is about 60% complete, and staff said construction and grant-agreement steps should align with the board's funding schedule.

Safe pedestrian crossings (Phase 2): Steven Hannison, assistant director of public works, described a $1,000,000 request to complete high-visibility crosswalks identified in the mobility master plan and to fund lighting, enhanced signage, flashing beacons and signalized-crosswalk upgrades. Hannison cited Federal Highway Administration crash-modification research during the presentation, saying high-visibility markings and illumination can materially reduce pedestrian-related crash rates; staff proposed design in spring 2026 and construction as early as fall 2026.

Parks improvements: Angela Nemec, assistant director of parks and recreation, described a parks package not to exceed $2,000,000 that would prioritize replacement of eight aging tennis courts (four locations) with post-tension concrete courts, LED lighting upgrades and fencing; staff estimated the courts at about $1,200,000 and said remaining funds would go toward pavilion, restroom and playground improvements at Nelson Ranch and Buttercup Park.

Buttercup Creek Boulevard shared-use path (design): Skinner said a feasibility study completed earlier recommended Buttercup Creek Boulevard as the preferred corridor for a primary trail; staff requested up to $750,000 for design work to advance that project and study right-of-way and utility impacts and connections to the Bell District and existing trail network.

Bicycle and pedestrian improvement program: staff also proposed a $1,000,000 allocation to continue and expand the city’s sidewalk-gap and smaller multiuse-trail projects, including feasibility studies and targeted construction on corridors such as Ronald Reagan Boulevard/Parmer Lane and the Cedar Park Drive sidewalk.

Board members praised the projects and asked how the requests fit with the Type B fund balance and a potential larger debt need for the Arts Collective; staff said the board could choose to fund all projects, to reserve funds for future debt service, or to prioritize among the six applications when it meets July 8. No grants or project funding were approved at the June 10 meeting; staff will return in July with formal requests and any updated cost or revenue modeling.