Costco debuted its first membership-based store and gas station in Liberty Hill on March 11. 

Learn more: The 152,000-square-foot warehouse features a gas station, beer and wine selection, bakery, deli, fresh produce, an optical department, pharmacy, hearing aid center, food court and tire center. 

The wholesale business sells between 3,800-4,000 different products, including Costco’s brand, Kirkland Signature, and other national brands like Apple, KitchenAid, Disney, Samsung, General Mills and Sketchers. 

What to expect: Costco is a membership-only store with three-tier options: executive, business and gold star, starting at $65 per year. The business has 146 million cardholders, the release states. 

• 595 US 183, Liberty Hill

Travis County is one step closer to launching a 10-year plan to expand its parks system.

County staff presented their final draft plan to expand, strengthen and increase access to county parks over the next decade at a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting March 10. The countywide effort comes after voters approved a $276.44 million parks bond proposition in 2023.

The big picture: Overall, the Travis County parks department has developed a list of 35 recommended projects. Some projects may be short-term, completed in three years or less; medium-term, completed in four to six years; or long-term, taking seven to 10 years. Nineteen of these projects are recommended to be completed in the short-term.

The background: Proposition B included more than $200 million in bond funding for parkland acquisition along with funding for new trails and facility additions at the Gilleland Creek Greenway, Southeast Metropolitan Park, Onion Creek Greenway, Bee Creek Sports Complex and Arkansas Bend Park.

The county has been acquiring land to create a 70-mile trail system from Pflugerville to Manchaca.

Check out six upcoming or ongoing transportation projects across the Austin metro.

Upcoming projects

West Rundberg Lane Extension
Project: The project extends West Rundberg Lane in Austin from Burnet Road to Metric Boulevard, including an expansion of the roadway from two lanes to four lanes with a raised median, an 8-foot shared-use path on both sides, and storm sewer, water and wastewater improvements.
Update: The project is currently in the design phase.

• Timeline: TBD
• Cost: $10 million
• Funding source: Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, city of Austin bond

• Timeline: 2023-29 (entire project)
• Cost: $19.9 million-$21.6 million (west), $42.3 million-$45.4 million (east)
• Funding source: 2022 city of Kyle bond