Check out two recent transportation updates affecting Cedar Park residents from city and regional sources.

1. Cedar Park puts $681K toward design of Buttercup Creek Boulevard shared-use path: Cedar Park City Council approved a $680,993 contract with engineering firm Kimley-Horn on June 11 for the design of a walking and biking path along Buttercup Creek Boulevard.

The shared-use path will be built along the north side of Buttercup Creek Boulevard from Lakeline Boulevard to Bell Boulevard. The contract also includes the design of a shared-use path that would be built along a utility easement connecting Park Street to Timber Trail. Pedestrians will be able to travel between Park Street and Buttercup Creek Boulevard using the path and sidewalk along Timber Trail and Twin Oak Trail.

2. Austin seeks to rein in 'chaotic' e-moto use: Austin is looking to curb the use of electronic motorcycles and mini-bikes, or e-motos, in response to a lack of local regulations and rising roadway safety concerns.

Leander ISD will head into the 2026-27 school year with a $9.9 million shortfall, following the board of trustees' adoption of the budget June 18. 

The details: District documents show that the budget includes $465.9 million worth of revenues against $476.2 million worth of expenditures and $350,000 for other uses.

The debt service budget will have a balanced budget of $168 million. The child nutrition budget is projecting $21.1 million worth of expenditures against $15.2 million worth of revenues, resulting in a planned operating shortfall of $5.9 million intended to align with federal requirements to spend down excess fund balance.

Remember this? The board approved a 0% general pay increase as part of the 2026-27 compensation plan May 7. However, the plan includes a one-time lump sum retention payment of up to $1,000 for full-time employees and $500 for part-time employees.

Looking ahead: The board will next adopt the tax rate in August, once the district receives the certified property values from the appraisal district. Current projections show an unchanged tax rate of $1.0869.

Tex-Mex restaurant On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina permanently closed all company-owned restaurants in mid-June, according to an emailed statement from OTB Hospitality.

The overview: The company made the decision through an “evaluation of the business,” according to the statement.

“On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has made the difficult decision to move forward with a significant transition in its restaurant operations, which [included] the closing of company-owned locations by end of day Friday, June 12, 2026,” the statement read. “This decision follows a thorough evaluation of the business and was not made lightly.”

The statement added that the franchised locations will remain open.

Some background: A news release from Houston-based Pappas Restaurants, the parent company of Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen and Pappasito’s Cantina, stated that the organization purchased On the Border May 1.

The restaurant offered nachos, quesadillas, fajitas and burritos, according to its menu.

• Company-owned locations closed June 12

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization dedicated about $131 million in federal funding for nine road projects and one trail project in Williamson County, according to a June 12 county news release.

Projects include the construction of an overpass at the intersection of Chandler Road and FM 1660 in Hutto, as well as widening Red Bud Lane from two to five lanes from Gattis School Road to Heatherwilde Boulevard in Round Rock.

What they’re saying: “I am grateful the CAMPO board sees the need in our fast-growing county for continued improvements to our transportation system, and I congratulate [Precinct 2] Commissioner [Cynthia] Long for securing this federal funding through CAMPO for Williamson County,” Williamson County Judge Steve Snell said in the release.

How it works: CAMPO selected projects to receive funding from the 2028-31 open call for projects. The evaluation process includes independent reviewers weighing risk assessment, project readiness and the cost-benefit analysis, according to the release.

Check out the latest Austin metro transportation project updates.

Upcoming projects
RM 1431 road and intersection improvements
Project: The project will span New Hope Drive to Bagdad Road, and the intersection of RM 1431/Whitestone Boulevard and 183A Toll in Cedar Park.
Update: Preliminary engineering and design of the intersection is next. 

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $11.9 million (road), $15.9 million (intersection)
• Funding source: city of Cedar Park, Mobility Authority, Surface Transportation Block Grant

• Timeline: total project completion expected in 2026
• Cost: $5.8 million
• Funding source: Type B sales tax

• Timeline: 2023-26
• Cost: $91.5 million
• Funding source: Waterloo Greenway, city of Austin Tax Increment funding, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers