Cedar Park Council backs CTRMA traffic-and-revenue study for Ronald Reagan Boulevard, 6-1

The Cedar Park City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution supporting a traffic-and-revenue (TNR) study by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) for additional phasing and managed-lane improvements on Ronald Reagan Boulevard, voting 6-1.

The resolution asks CTRMA to complete a TNR study to assess traffic flow and revenue projections for proposed managed (tolled) main lanes and non‑tolled frontage lanes along stretches of Ronald Reagan from FM 1431 north toward I‑35. City staff and county officials told council the resolution is a first step and would not obligate Cedar Park to construction or to provide local funding for the project.

Why it matters: Ronald Reagan is a key north–south corridor for Williamson County and Cedar Park; speakers described continuing congestion and growth pressures and said a regional study is needed to evaluate whether tolled managed lanes, paired with frontage-road access, can preserve throughput, enable transit and emergency response, and reduce long‑term local maintenance costs.

City staff presented the schematic the county paid to develop, showing two managed/tolled lanes in parts of the corridor with non‑tolled frontage roads for local access. Randy Lueders, the city's director of engineering and capital projects, said the county-funded schematic covers the Cedar Park section and that CTRMA — if it pursues the project — would re‑evaluate the design and financing.

Bob Day, senior director of infrastructure for Williamson County, urged support for the study as a “baby step” toward a long‑term solution. “If it does happen, and it’s not going to happen tomorrow, we’re just talking about the first baby step here,” Day said, noting the corridor’s scale would require years of planning and construction and that CTRMA funding could relieve the city of some maintenance costs if CTRMA ultimately built and maintained both toll and non‑toll lanes.

Councilmembers pressed for assurances that existing non‑tolled frontage lanes would remain available for local access. Multiple councilmembers and staff repeatedly emphasized the resolution authorizes only the study; any construction within Cedar Park city limits would require later council approval.

Public comment at the meeting included multiple residents and regional stakeholders who opposed converting any portion of Ronald Reagan to a toll facility and urged alternatives such as greater transit investment or other funding approaches. A number of residents said tolls raise equity and cost‑burden concerns; others said not studying the corridor risks worsening gridlock and higher costs later.

After extended council and public discussion, Mayor James Penn Amor moved to approve the resolution; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Hutchinson and passed 6–1. Councilmembers asked staff and CTRMA for a robust public‑involvement plan and close coordination on local access, interchange design at Palmer/1431 and other details, and requested CTRMA evaluate transit and emergency‑vehicle needs as part of the TNR work.

Council and county officials estimated the TNR study would likely take roughly a year to complete; any later decisions about construction, tolling strategy or final design would require additional approvals by Cedar Park and other jurisdictions.

Quotes: “We needed to have some other fiscal mechanism and economic engine for mobility to help build big projects,” Bob Day said, explaining why Williamson County and Travis County earlier formed CTRMA. “We’re trying to investigate. Is that an option?”

What's next: CTRMA plans to carry out the study if the agency elects to proceed; city staff said they will continue coordination with CTRMA, Williamson County, TxDOT and neighboring cities and will press for a public engagement timeline for Cedar Park residents.

Votes at a glance: Resolution supporting CTRMA traffic-and-revenue study for Ronald Reagan Boulevard — Motion to approve by Mayor James Penn Amor; second by Councilmember Hutchinson; outcome: approved 6–1.