On April 22, City Council approved issuing $30 million in certificates of obligation debt for the program, which came out of an effort to address residents’ concerns over traffic congestion and to chip away at the city’s list of transportation needs.
“Traffic congestion and road challenges always score very, very low [on city surveys], and that’s simply because everybody hates being tied up in traffic,” Round Rock Director of Transportation Gary Hudder said.
In 2017, City Council approved a transportation master plan that revealed $1.2 billion worth of needed road improvements across the city. The city identified several funding sources in 2019, including roadway impact fees and issuing certificates of obligation. This debt differs from general obligation bonds that require voter approval.
According to Hudder, the pandemic did not set the city back in the program as design work was able to proceed on projects. In 2020, the city broke ground on some of the projects, including University Boulevard and Logan Street.
