A gondola linking Frisco's town centers got a look from city staff and was set aside as too costly, according to a progress report going to the city's Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee on Monday, Nov. 9.
The committee meets at 6 p.m. in Training Room 252 at City Hall to review where the city stands on 30 action items it picked from the 2040 Comprehensive Plan in October 2025. The Planning & Zoning Commission signed off on that list on Nov. 11, 2025.
Staff is recommending the committee keep the same 30 items for now and add none, according to a memo from Planning Manager Chris Leonard.
What moved, and what stalled
The report gives a status line for each item. Among them:
- Crossing big roads on foot or bike. Several trail underpasses are built or planned, and a pedestrian bridge is planned for the UNT campus. The gondola idea was studied and found "prohibitively expensive," and the report says costly bridges only make sense once enough people would use them.
- Transit. The on-demand GoZone service that started in May now covers half of the city, reaches the DART transit center in Plano and has been extended to the McKinney city limit. Staff lists possible grants in fiscal 2028 and 2029 for further expansion of GoZone and the downtown Boxcar Shuttle.
- Workforce housing study. A study of housing needs for Frisco's major employers was requested in this year's budget. Staff now recommends reassessing whether it is needed because funding is unavailable for fiscal 2028.
- Street trees in older neighborhoods. Many early subdivisions were built without room for parkway trees, the report says, and adding them could mean buying easements in private front yards. Staff suggests studying whether that is feasible before committing money.
- Trails under power lines. The hike and bike master plan relies on overhead power line easements for some trails, but the report says new power company rules now limit use under larger lines, so the plan will need an update in fiscal 2028 or 2029.
- Wayfinding. The council approved a new design for gateway markers and district signs. An implementation plan is due in fiscal 2028, with installation tentatively set for fiscal 2029.
