Round Rock's arrangement for transportation service with Capital Metro will be extended for two more years while the city plans the future of its transportation program.

The big picture: Round Rock City Council approved two items related to the fixed-route bus service it contracts with CapMetro at a July 23 meeting. The items were an agreement to extend its contract with the transit authority for two more years while the city evaluates services and updates its transportation master plan, as well as a memorandum for grant funding through the Federal Transit Administration.

Zooming in: The two-year extension will begin Oct. 1 and run through Sept. 30, 2028.

Assistant Director of Transportation Brian Kuhn said in a July 21 packet briefing that the city typically contracts with CapMetro one year at a time, but negotiated a two-year contract to potentially bid out transit services depending on the outcome of its evaluation.

Construction is underway on a gas station and convenience store near East Old Settlers Boulevard and Sunrise Road in Round Rock.

About the project: As of late July, crews have built the structure and connections for a future gas station. A project filing from May 2024 with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows the 9,315-square-foot facility cost $1.5 million to build. 

• 1300 E. Old Settlers Boulevard

Check out six stories trending in the Austin area July 27-30. 

1. 8 new and coming soon businesses to west Georgetown

2. Urban Egg to open its first Austin location this fall

3. Hao Hao Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant planned for Pflugerville

4. Two Tim Hortons locations coming to Leander’s Hero Way, Ronald Reagan

5. A Little Shady announces opening date of Kyle location

6. Road work projects around CedarView development to be completed before Scheels opening

This summer, Texas is launching a new process to study the viability of data centers and other large projects seeking to connect to the state’s power grid. The process’ strict requirements could deter major industrial projects from coming to the state, experts warn.

The overview: The Electric Reliability Commission of Texas’ new "batch study process" will require that large projects be evaluated in groups, rather than individually. The process was developed in response to Texas’ data center boom.

What they're saying: All projects that would use at least 75 megawatts of electricity will be required to participate in the batch process—including industrial and hydrogen production facilities. However, industrial and manufacturing projects operate differently from data centers and may not be able to meet some of the batch requirements, industry representatives said July 29.

In a state that works to attract major companies and bills itself as business-friendly, that’s a concern, lawmakers said.

"Where are y'all at on trying to differentiate those types of traditional, enterprise, big commercial, large load projects?" Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, asked.