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Georgetown staff prioritize FM 971, SH 29 and Austin Avenue for CAMPO and TxDOT grant rounds
Summary
City transportation staff asked council to endorse four CAMPO/TxDOT grant nominations — FM 971 widening, State Highway 29 East design, Austin Avenue/Downtown Square construction and the TxDOT-maintained Austin Avenue (SS 26) partnership — and explained CAMPO deadlines, scoring, and likely funding limits.
City transportation staff presented four proposed nominations for upcoming CAMPO and TxDOT grant cycles and requested council feedback on priorities and submission strategy.
Nick (Transportation staff) told the mayor and council the CAMPO call for projects is open and applications are due Jan. 23. He described the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) as the region27s largest federal grant for non-TxDOT entities and summarized other CAMPO sources including the Transportation Alternatives set-aside (TASA), which staff said may not be funded in the coming cycle. He said CAMPO evaluates projects on readiness, benefits and regional significance, and typically expects a 20% minimum local match.
The administration proposed four nominations in priority order: full-construction funding for the FM 971 widening (Gann Street to SH 130) — described as "shovel ready" with design and environmental clearance, and an estimated $252828$28 million request; funding for full design and right-of-way for State Highway 29 East (Haven Lane to Patriot Way); construction funding for the Austin Avenue and Downtown Square conversion (Leander Road to Second Street), for which CAMPO has already funded full engineering; and a TxDOT-led project on the TxDOT-maintained portion of Austin Avenue (SS 26) with a previously committed $600,000 local contribution.
Staff emphasized competitive constraints. Nick said CAMPO is projecting roughly $330 million in regionwide funds over five years and that "if a city of our size received one grant award, that's probably a win for us" given demand concentrated on large projects such as I-35. He added CAMPO typically funds the amount requested and applies a scoring matrix objectively, so a city's internal priority ranking does not guarantee selection.
Council members asked whether CAMPO awards could be partial, whether submitting a smaller project first is a better strategy, and how CAMPO treats projects that span multiple funding categories. Staff replied that CAMPO generally prefers funding complete scopes and that unique projects like Austin Avenue could be eligible across different funding sources (for example STBG or TASA) depending on how many applicants seek each pot.
On TxDOT's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), staff described it as an off-system program that requires a 10% match, typically with delayed funding, and urged council approval to authorize submissions for the 2026 nomination cycle. Staff noted past TxDOT awards to Georgetown for items such as lighting on Williams Drive and traffic signals at several intersections.
Council direction: Members generally supported the proposed package and asked staff to proceed with applications and to return in January with resolutions of support and later with award status. Several council members urged staff to continue readying additional projects (design and right-of-way) so Georgetown can present shovel-ready candidates in future CAMPO cycles and to consider bond or local funding to complement grant efforts.
Ending: Staff said they will prepare CAMPO applications based on council feedback, seek a formal council resolution in January and report back in summer on any award decisions.
