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Round Rock considering extension of CapMetro contract, potential change of vendor in future

Round Rock's arrangement for transportation service with Capital Metro may be extended for two more years, pending action from local officials. 

The big picture: Round Rock City Council will consider two items related to the bus service it contracts with CapMetro in a July 23 meeting. At hand are an agreement to extend its contract with the transit authority for two more years while the city evaluates services alongside an update to its transportation master plan, as well as a memorandum for grant funding through the Federal Transit Administration. 

Zooming in: The two-year extension of the city's contract with CapMetro would begin Oct. 1, 2026, 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 an evaluation. 

 
Worth Watching
Why your water might smell like chlorine soon across northwest Austin suburbs

Residents of Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander and Liberty Hill may soon notice a chlorine-like smell or taste in their tap water as local and regional water utilities are set to begin a chlorine rinse Aug. 3.

What you need to know: Tap water will remain safe to drink, bathe in, water plants with and use for other everyday purposes, a news release states.

The chlorine rinse, which will last about a month, serves to disinfect the water system and remove buildup from pipes.

To improve the taste and odor of tap water, residents can store it in an open container in the fridge to let the chlorine dissipate.

 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

‘42nd Street’

Quiltfest 2026

July 24-Aug. 30, show times vary
Georgetown

July 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; July 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
New Braunfels

More info

More info

 

BBQ Cook-Off

Brick Rodeo

July 24-25, 6 p.m.
Driftwood

July 25-26, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (Saturday); 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Sunday)
Round Rock

More info

More info

 
To submit your own event, click here.

In Your Neighborhood
As storms returned, Central Texas residents were still rebuilding from floods 1 year earlier

Sandy Creek resident Georgia Bishop was out of town when 22 inches of rain fell on parts of northwest Travis County over the July 4, 2025, weekend. When Bishop returned home days later, her community was significantly changed.

What happened: Residents of the hard-hit Sandy Creek neighborhood described a “wall of water” that tore through their community last July, washing away homes, cars and roads. Nine people died in the flooding, including Bishop’s best friend, 16-year-old Felicity Jarmon.

The context: One year later, residents of the unincorporated Travis County community are still working to rebuild from last July’s catastrophic flooding. Central Texas has seen two straight years of intense, deadly flooding in July, leaving some residents on edge as they recover from last year’s disaster and mourn lost loved ones.

Community Impact spoke with Bishop and Kylie Nidever, whose neighborhood in Hunt flooded last year, on July 13, days before heavy rainfall hit large swaths of the state once again. Officials confirmed two deaths due to this year's floods, while 137 people died last July.

 

Your local team

Darcy Sprague
Managing Editor

Amy Leonard Bryant
General Manager

Email [email protected] for story ideas, tips or questions.

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