Council backs Pflugerville Mobility Master Plan on first reading after cross‑section debate

The Pflugerville City Council approved the city’s Mobility Master Plan on first reading Tuesday after hours of technical presentation and questions from council and residents.

Consultants from Kimley‑Horn outlined a draft mobility plan that combines roadway, trail and active‑transportation planning into a single document. Kelly Reese, who led the presentation, said the plan adds a denser east‑side grid, identifies nearly 200 new travel‑lane miles across the city’s planning horizon, and aims to "future‑proof" corridors by allocating additional right‑of‑way for multimodal facilities. "This vision is supplemented by six goals that can be summed up as safety, connectivity, effective travel options, regional partnerships and clear communications," Reese said.

Council debate centered on proposed cross‑section graphics that show separated bike and pedestrian facilities on both sides of many collectors and arterials. Several council members questioned whether symmetric, wide bike/trail facilities on both sides of a street are fiscally prudent and likely to be used. "I don't understand why it needs to be symmetrical," one council member said, urging a menu of context‑sensitive options. Jeff Whitaker, representing Kimley‑Horn, said separating bike facilities behind the curb can be cheaper in many cases and that narrowing pavement while preserving ROW for future expansion can reduce long‑term costs. "We narrowed the pavement down to accommodate two lanes and put the bikes on the outside to prevent full asphalt depth," Whitaker said.

Public commenters, including local cyclists, urged protected bike connections and better visibility at crossings. Logan Ott, who identified himself as a city cyclist, asked the council to require physically protected transitions where bike lanes merge into traffic: "Bikes and cars—they don't mix very well," he said. Another commenter, Andre Graham, described difficulty crossing busy streets near his home and urged bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides.

Rather than adopt the plan exactly as drafted, council members moved to approve the plan on first reading with amendments asking staff and consultants to revise the cross‑section illustrations, add explicit language about design flexibility and return with a revised draft at second reading. The amended motion carried; staff said the revisions will be incorporated and returned for a second reading at the next regular meeting.

Why it matters: The Mobility Master Plan provides a policy framework and project list that will guide how the city requires and pays for road, trail and multimodal facilities as Pflugerville grows. Council’s requested edits are intended to preserve long‑term right‑of‑way while giving designers and developers flexibility during project delivery.