Cedar Park, Capital Metro differ on study aspect

Cedar Park, Capital Metro differ on study aspect

Written by Staff Thursday, 07 February 2008

The Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority and the City of Cedar Park made an agreement Jan. 24 whereby the authority will fund 80 percent of two studies: one on transit in the city and the other on a possible Cedar Park commuter rail stop.

However, Capital Metro and Cedar Park differ on one aspect of the deal.

Jose Madrigal, assistant city manager, said the first study will determine the transportation needs of Cedar Park and find options on how the city can receive federal transit funding, including obtaining federal grantee status, Madrigal said.

However, Fred Gilliam, president and CEO of Capital Metro, said the authority would be opposed to Cedar Park becoming a federal grantee. His understanding is that the study will detail how the city and the authority can partner to use the federal money Capital Metro already receives through its federal grantee status.

Capital Metro, as the grantee for the region, receives funding on behalf of cities in its service area and in turn provides transportation in those communities.

Cedar Park removed itself from Capital Metro in 2000. After that, Capital Metro was obligated to provide only special transit services to elderly and disabled residents of Cedar Park, and the city pays the bill. Although the services are limited, the federal government still factors in Cedar Park’s population to calculate Capital Metro’s funding amount.

If Cedar Park became a federal grantee, the federal transit money would go to the city instead of Capital Metro and the city could contract for services with any transit provider.

The details of the second study are clear; it will determine the feasibility of a Cedar Park commuter rail station and examine how the city and Capital Metro could make money on a stop through a transit-oriented development similar to Leander’s.

0 Comments