The city of Leander will submit road projects and regional trail connections to Williamson County for consideration to be included in the
possible roads and parks bond election.
The projects include expanding parts of Bagdad Road and San Gabriel Parkway, as well as trail connections along the San Gabriel River Trail and Brushy Creek Trail.
Williamson County is considering holding a
roads and parks bond election in November. The county has asked cities to provide their top three transportation projects and any regional trail connectivity projects they want the county to consider providing some funding for.
The Citizens Bond Committee and Williamson County staff will then review the information and make recommendations to the Commissioners Court on the need for a bond election and the financial size of the potential bond election, according to city documents. The commissioners will then decide if they want to call a November bond election.
Williamson County Commissioners Court established the
Citizens Bond Committee in March to help make recommendations to the commissioners. Joe Bob Ellison, a pastor at Hill Country Bible Church Leander, and Matt Powell, principal of Powell Municipal and former mayor of Cedar Park, represent Precinct 2, which covers much of Leander and Cedar Park, on the committee.
Leander City Council voted unanimously to submit projects for consideration during a meeting April 5. Powell told the council during the meeting that the committee plans to prioritize regionally significant projects, or areas where many people in the county tend to congregate and projects that help people get to and from other cities.
Powell said a public meeting will be held May 8 at the Cedar Park Recreation Center from 5-8 p.m., during which the public can provide feedback on potential bond projects.
Leander City Council voted to recommend the following transportation projects for funding consideration:
- Expanding San Gabriel Parkway into a four-lane divided urban roadway from Bagdad Road to Toll 183A. The city is proposing Williamson County pay 50% of the cost.
- Expanding Bagdad Road into an undivided five-lane urban roadway from Collaborative Way to the northern city limits. The city is proposing Williamson County pay 50% of the cost.
- Purchasing right-of-way for Hero Way from Toll 183A to the eastern city limits. The city is proposing Williamson County pay 100% of the cost.
City Council recommended the following regional trail connectivity projects for funding consideration:
- Completing two parts of the South San Gabriel River Trail, an approximately 1-mile stretch beginning on the west side of US 183 that goes under the 183 San Gabriel River bridge and extends east toward and through CR 267, and a short extension under the Ronald Reagan Boulevard bridge. The city is requesting the county pay about $1.5 million, which is half of the estimated cost, according to city documents.
- Extending Brushy Creek Trail from Toll 183A to Ronald Reagan Boulevard. The city is requesting the county pay about $1.6 million, which is half of the estimated cost, according to city documents.
