Pflugerville is moving forward with efforts to revitalize the city after adopting its Downtown Streetscape Master Plan at a Sept. 24 city council meeting. Estimated costs for the plan are $23.3 million, and the project would be changed to Pecan Street, Main Street, and Railroad Avenue in an effort to make the roads more pedestrian-friendly.

The current situation

A part of the larger Downtown Action Plan, the project passed in a 6-1 vote. It focuses on cohesive enhancements to the city’s downtown, including three major road projects, according to city documents.

Results from a resident survey found that the highest priority road is Pecan Street. The survey also showed that catering to pedestrians and featuring head-in angled parking is preferred.

“The pedestrian environment today is very narrow,” Aaron Cooper, a project manager with Halff Associates, said at the meeting. “It’s not accommodating to downtown activities.”

About the project

Pecan Street is Pflugerville’s major east-west thoroughfare to downtown and sees over 15,000 cars per day. The streetscape master plan recommends narrowing travel lanes, incorporating 10-foot shared use paths and adding trees along the streets. Another key feature is the addition of pedestrian islands and hybrid beacons for safe crossing.

Improvements to Pecan Street are segmented into four sections, with total costs coming out to an estimated $11 million. The city would work block by block, adjusting utilities at the same time as construction, according to Cooper.

What else?

The plan also outlines improvements for Main Street and Railroad Avenue, each divided into three segments. Plans to expand Main Street through Pflugerville ISD’s PACE Campus are included both in the streetscape plan and the city’s transportation master plan. The cost for Main Street improvements is an estimated $12.8 million.

Railroad Avenue would be the site of a new gateway sign on the north side of Pflugerville. Project costs for Railroad Avenue is an estimated $5.4 million.

What they’re saying

Mayor Victor Gonzales said that the plan represents “the new Pflugerville,” and recommends the plan is presented to the sitting council annually.