He updated City Council on potential projects during a July 21 meeting.
The update is part of the city’s budget planning process, with each department presenting upcoming fiscal year projects. An in-depth budget workshop is planned for Aug. 4-5 at the temporary city hall.
The details
There are about 22,000 regulatory, warning and guidance signs in the city on a 12-year replacement cycle, Nelson said. Crews are currently replacing signs in south-central Richardson, and once complete, they will begin in southwest Richardson.
Additionally, there are 134 traffic signals and over 1,000 city-owned street lights, plus another 1,800 along TxDOT facilities, he said.
Nelson said the FY-2024-25 work plan is near completion, including traffic signal work at eight intersections. Five projects have been completed, and the remaining three projects are set to finish in August and September.
Nelson said there are four traffic signal projects planned for FY 2025-26, located at Coit and Roundrock Roads, Collins Boulevard and Municipal Drive, Campbell Road and Mimosa Drive, and Arapaho Road and Hampshire Lane.
Work is expected to start in December for the Coit and Roundrock Roads and Collins Boulevard and Municipal Drive projects. The remaining projects are scheduled for September 2026.
The 2021 bond will fund the projects.
What else
Nelson also updated council on the Highway Safety Improvement Program, which includes updating traffic signals with American With Disabilities Act upgrades. The project is partially funded and managed by TxDOT, Nelson said, adding that timing and progress are based on its schedule.
“We’ve been able to leverage [grant funding] quite well,” Nelson said. “The juice is worth the squeeze in certain circumstances.”
Nine traffic light replacements are planned for FY 2025-26 under the program, including the intersections of Campbell and Plano Roads, Jupiter and Renner Roads and Jupiter and Belt Line Roads.
For FY 2025-26, mobility projects include adding bike lanes on Glenville Drive from Arapaho Road to Campbell Road, work on Central Trail extensions and Cotton Belt Trail work from the CityLine area to Spring Creek Bridge.
The funding source
Nelson said over half of the funding for transportation and mobility projects comes from leveraging grants from other agencies.
The city funded about 35.6%, or roughly $51.2 million, of 59 projects totaling $143.8 million. The remaining costs were funded by grants from various agencies.
“We’re almost at a one-third [to] two-thirds split,” Nelson said.
