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CapMetro expands TOD policy beyond agency land, adds guidance for unsolicited proposals
Summary
The CapMetro board adopted a 2025 update to its Transit‑Oriented Development policy that broadens scope to include third‑party parcels, clarifies unsolicited proposals and creates a companion guidebook; staff said the guidebook will be released in the fall and five candidate CapMetro‑owned sites are under review.
At its Aug. 25 meeting the CapMetro Board approved an updated Transit‑Oriented Development (TOD) implementation policy designed to guide how the agency engages in development on CapMetro‑owned land and adjacent third‑party properties.
Anna Lan, transit oriented development manager, said the 2025 update preserves core priorities from the 2013 policy—competitive processes, retaining control over transit facility assets and long‑term investment strategy—while expanding the policy to cover CapMetro‑owned properties in addition to third‑party land adjacent to stations. The update also introduces a role for unsolicited proposals, clarifies board and CEO expectations during implementation, and signals a greater willingness to pursue partnerships and public‑private projects.
Staff said the update aligns with Texas Transportation Code chapter 451 and reflects continued partnership with the City of Austin and recent Federal Transit Administration TOD grants. The board heard that a TOD guidebook and a transit development guidelines document are near completion (expected fall 2025) and that staff are reviewing five CapMetro‑owned candidate sites with market analyses and due diligence expected to be complete by early 2026. The Crestview multimodal station study, funded by a 2023 FTA TOD grant, will examine how to integrate future light rail, commuter rail and multi‑modal amenities for an area that could serve 800+ mixed‑income housing units.
Board members asked about outreach to development partners and alignment with municipal TOD/zoning work. Staff said they will circulate drafts to member cities and the development community, and specifically flagged outreach to Leander and other adjacent jurisdictions. The board approved the policy update by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
Next steps: staff to circulate the TOD guidebook draft, continue outreach to cities and developers, and report back to the board on TOD candidate site analyses and policy implementation milestones.
