Cedar Park transit services plan

Cedar Park transit services plan

By Kara Vaught Friday, 17 April 2009

The City of Cedar Park has completed a transit services plan and is conducting a commuter rail stop feasibility study.

The transit services plan was created in response to the needs of the city’s citizens, said Jose Madrigal, assistant city manager.

The city council chose to focus its efforts on implementing a two-vehicle bus system that would run at peak-usage times. Madrigal described the vehicles as large vans, not full-size buses.

Though the plan does not outline a service provider, Capital Metro has told the city it wishes to place a bid to provide the services. The city will also consider bids from private companies, Madrigal said.

The two-bus system would cost the city $88,000 in the first year, with costs increasing each year as services increase. The city plans to put the system in the 2010 budget, Madrigal said, and is looking at its funding options.

“We’re still working on receiving our federal money from Capital Metro,” Madrigal said.

Since Cedar Park voted to leave the Capital Metro system and use its 1 cent sales tax for economic development instead, no Capital Metro services are offered in the Cedar Park city limits.

Cedar Park residents are eligible to use Capital Metro services, including special transit services for disabled residents, and facilities such as the Northwest Park & Ride at 13625 Lyndhurst Blvd. in Austin, just outside the Cedar Park city limits.

Adam Shaivitz, Capital Metro communications manager, said the transit authority estimates that Cedar Park residents’ usage of the Northwest Park & Ride totals about $600,000 annually.

On the commuter rail stop feasibility study, Madrigal said Cedar Park is waiting to hear from Capital Metro what the cost to the city would be to add a station in Cedar Park.

“Maybe it’s a number we’re able to do; maybe it’s a number we’re not going to be able to do,” he said.

Shaivitz said the transit authority is in the process of calculating that number accurately so that it sets a workable precedent for any future service agreements.