TX: Yes, North Texas traffic is getting worse. What can we do about it?

You probably already noticed it in your daily commute. We are spending more time in traffic than we used to. After a short-lived post-pandemic drop with looser traffic, car congestion is worse than ever.

With North Texas’ projected population and economic growth, this trend isn’t sustainable. Our region needs a plan to deal with this issue and protect its standing as an attractive destination for workers and businesses.

Americans lost an average of 63 hours sitting in traffic in 2024, which is the highest level ever measured, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s latest Urban Mobility Report. It was even worse for residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An average commuter in the region wasted 69 hours sitting in traffic last year.

This means that a trip that normally would take 20 minutes needs to be planned for 26 minutes, according to the report. Our extended drive to work is not only costing us precious time but also money. The Dallas-area commuter lost $1,618 due to congestion.

The worst gridlock, however, is not on our roads but in our local politics, as several DART member cities are considering leaving the mass transit system. We fear the outcome may lead to more traffic at a time when our regional leadership should be preparing for future growth.

Demographers project that North Texas will add 4 million residents by 2050, bringing the area’s total population to about 12 million. Those new residents will need highways and other means to move about the region.

Traffic is a quality-of-life issue and often a top consideration for people seeking to relocate.

The Texas Department of Transportation is building major projects in our region, including the 635 East Project, a $1.74 billion construction project that is expected to continue through 2025 and will bring much needed traffic relief. But we cannot just build roads and highways to keep up with the growth that’s coming.

Cities need common goals when it comes to mass transit. Texas must do its part, too. The good news is that TxDOT has acknowledged the urgency of the state’s addressing mobility beyond our car-centric infrastructure in the draft of a first-of-its-kind multimodal transit plan, according to the Texas Tribune.

If traffic is going to get any better, our region has to consider efficient means to move people from point A to point B. Either improve the options we have, or start thinking outside the box. Technology is bringing new solutions, like autonomous vehicles and even flying taxis, which have the potential to redefine traffic. However, these aren’t viable solutions in the near future.

Major reforms in housing development, water infrastructure and energy have been the focus of recent legislative sessions. Our leaders at the local and state level also must reckon with our traffic problem and how we deal with it in the larger context of preserving Texas’ economic strength.

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