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Funds could help expansion near FM 1100, pedestrian safety improvements
City Council approved moving forward on a federal grant application May 5 to help advance planning for County Line Road Phase 3, a project Elgin officials say remains a top priority.
The resolution authorizes City Manager Robert Eads to seek services from Kimley-Horn Engineers for grant writing connected to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. According to officials, SS4A aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries through planning studies and infrastructure improvements.
Public Works Director Michael Gonzales said the grant could help advance planning for the section of County Line Road connecting to FM 1100, including pedestrian improvements like sidewalks.
“We are thinking about any funding opportunity … The number one question we got was 'When exactly are you going to start on Phase 3?'” Gonzales said, referencing a recent public engagement meeting at First Baptist Church. “We're thinking about Phase 3 just as much as any of our constituents.”
The city scaled its proposal back from $40,000 to about $10,000 after determining it would be more competitive pursuing only the planning portion of the grant, rather than both planning and implementation.
“To make sure we're spending wisely, let's go after this $10,000 portion that we are most likely to get,” Eads said.
The city has also coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation, which is pursuing funding for the corridor through the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Gonzales said the parallel efforts could strengthen the case for both.
“Both of us working on it together should, in my mind, bring some gravity to the situation,” he said.
