The city of Pflugerville is hiring a transportation consulting firm that will develop a transportation plan for the city, including plans for a city bus hub.

Following council approval Nov. 25, the city will initiate a $188,000 contract with The Goodman Corp. for the development of a transportation development program.

A significant portion of the $188,000 could be reimbursed with federal funds through Capital Metro, which operates Austins public transit.

Assistant City Manager Trey Fletcher said the transportation plan will help the city identify service expansion options, enhance regional connectivity, find funding sources for projects, identify sites for transit-oriented development which could be a park and ride-type structure and evaluate a public-private partnership.

Pflugerville is not part of the Capital Metro service area, and Capital Metro will not be the key implementer of a Pflugerville transportation plan, Fletcher said. Pflugerville could partner with Capital Metro in the process of building transportation infrastructure, he added.

Goodman would also help identify federal funding opportunities. Goodman Corp. President Barry Goodman previously told the council his firm has expertise in securing federal funds for transportation projects. Goodman was a senior legal counsel for the Urban Mass Transportation Administration in Washington, D.C.

Fletcher said the transportation plan would be ready by the fall.