Dallas & Fort Worth Traffic Through 2019

Dallas-Fort Worth has gained one million people in less than 10 years, making the Metroplex the 4th largest in the nation. The population of our metropolis is over 7.5 million people, a tally that stresses the infrastructure of our city’s including roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. DFW residents are noting the increase in heavy traffic and longer commutes, as our city becomes a more difficult and treacherous place to navigate every day.  

Luckily, there are resources that exist which can help you avoid – or at least take care – through the riskiest traffic areas in our city. Real-time traffic apps allow residents to avoid areas of traffic congestion, and historic incident trackers provide valuable information in making choices about where to live or travel regularly. Area reporting of increasingly dense neighborhoods and new construction projects have kept us up-to-date throughout the year.  With these factors in mind, it is interesting to look back on the events and trends of 2019 that have impacted the roadways in our area, and consider what’s to come in 2020.  

With the increases in population and traffic, if you have been a victim of an accident on North Texas roads this year, you are certainly not alone. On average, 10 people are killed on Texas roads every day. The frequency of these terrible accidents means that victims do not need to suffer alone. Reach out to Thompson Law for help and advice on your situation.

Our compassionate team of legal experts are passionate about delivering personal injury justice for North Texans and citizens all across our great state. We live and work here, too, and the serious accidents that happen affect us, as well. We care about helping our clients through these hard times and look forward to the opportunity to help you. 

Traffic in Dallas in 2019

Dallas Growth over the Years

In the last couple of years, the population of Dallas proper has grown by over one hundred thousand residents. Further, the surrounding towns with significant ties to the commerce and culture of the city have experienced even higher rates of growth. The upcoming 2020 census may shed even more light on the specific shifts that have taken place in our landscape, but the population boom in our area is undeniable. 

Current Dallas Construction Projects

DFW is the country’s second-busiest building market, and this high volume of new construction and disruption to our city is a major contributor to the increasingly dense traffic patterns. In Uptown Dallas alone there are over 15 new construction projects currentlyEven with the relative slowdown in construction that occurred this year, the Dallas area still holds the second-place spot – a good indicator that the boom will continue. Apart from private development, city and state projects are also significant and ongoing in Dallas.

The District of Dallas spent over $1.16 billion on construction and maintenance expenditures for 2019 alone! This has no small impact on our city, and commuters and travelers through the following thoroughfares have seen the effects of the construction works in progress: 

  • Expansion for SH 190 
  • Redesigns of I-30 
  • Redesign of US 80 E 
  • Expansion of Loop 9 (I-20-US 287) 
  • Improvements and Expansions to I-30 
  • Improvements and Expansions to I-35 
  • Improvements to US 67 
  • Many smaller-scale improvements to roadways, like the downtown Cesar Chavez corridor

Traffic Incidents this Year

One person has died on Texas roadways every day for the last 19 years. Unsurprisingly, Dallas recently ranked as one of the worst driving cities in the United States. In fact, Dallas News reported on a study that Dallas drivers are 46% more likely to be in an accident than drivers elsewhere in the nation. The city narrowly missed a “15 worst” ranking of all U.S. cities. This near-miss is not comforting, as the United States has roughly 20,000 cities, meaning Dallas probably ranks in about the top 0.1% of the worst driving areas.  

With so many fatal tragedies annually, it is impossible to select specific events that were notably devastating. There are such far-reaching consequences from each life lost, how can anyone understand the full impact of every event? All that we can do is take individual actions to make safe driving choices ourselves hopefully help to #endthestreak. 

Resources and Maps for Dallas

If you are looking for tips to prepare for any type of commuter or special travel on Dallas roads, many resources exist to help you plan the most efficient and least risky route using real-time traffic updates. Apps like Google Maps, Wego, Apple Maps, and Waze are frequent go-to’s for drivers, but these platforms are not the only resources that exist.

Our cities and states provide this information and more on other platforms, as wellTxDOT has an interactive map here that can show real-time traffic and causes of delays or closures on our roadways. Additionally, Dallas has a geographic information system (GIS) webpage that is a platform for planning and zoning information for the city.  

Traffic in Fort Worth in 2019 

Fort Worth Growth over the Years

The Fort Worth population has grown significantly in the past couple of years, adding over 20,000 residents within the city boundary alone. In the last decade, the population increase was over 125,000 people, which equates to nearly 17% of population growth for the city! In fact, the boom this area experienced was extremely impactful in moving Fort Worth up the rankings of largest U.S. cities, overtaking both San Francisco, CA, and Columbus, OH. By all standards, the growth is not anticipated to slow down anytime soon. 

Construction Projects in Fort Worth

Although Fort Worth trails Dallas in terms of total expenditures for construction and maintenance, the figure for improvements contracted by the District of Fort Worth was by no means insignificant. The District paid over $731 million in these costs over the past year. Many private projects are beginning or ongoing, as well, including Cowtown Place, Frost Tower, Pinnacle Bank Place, a new Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel, Trinity Terrace, Broadstone 5th and Summit, the Ciera Bank Building, the Fort Worth Police Officers Association Building, and more.  

Traffic Incidents in 2019

One of the greatest topics of contention in the Fort Worth area traffic this year was the flourishing of roundabouts in new development areas. Many residents and commuters find them confusing and frustrating to navigate with aggressive drivers taking advantage of the system and unfamiliar drivers bogging down the flow of the signature yielding method. Through community conversation and analysis of traffic right-of-way patterns, Fort Worth residents will be happy to hear that 11 notable new roundabouts will instead be configured as stoplight intersections: 

  • Blue Mound Road and US 287 northbound Frontage Road 
  • Blue Mound Road and US 287 southbound Frontage Road 
  • Keller-Hicks Road and Katy Road 
  • Bonds Ranch Road and Farm-to-Market Road 156 
  • Golden Triangle Avenue and Harmon Road 
  • Avondale Haslet Road and Willow Springs North Road 
  • Avondale Haslet Road and Willow Springs South Road 
  • Avondale Haslet Road and Sendera Ranch Boulevard 
  • Kroger Drive and Kroger Distribution Drive 
  • Kroger Drive and Park Vista Circle West 
  • Park Vista Boulevard and Keller Haslet Road

Resources and Maps for Fort Worth

Fort Worth shares many of the online and app-based resources that Dallas has. Additionally, the City of Fort Worth has published a Vehicle Accident Datacard that provides an incredibly comprehensive view of recent traffic incidents, and details about their circumstances. You can actually zoom in on your neighborhood or your work commute to see the dangerous spots where there are concentrations of accidents.

This can be an extremely useful resource in avoiding high-risk zones, as well as spotting patterns of traffic violations that are plaguing your area. With the city authoring this data card, hopefully, the tool becomes a great help in completing urban planning and infrastructure initiatives to improve safety and save lives.   

Thompson Law Protects You Across DFW

Thompson Law has an established office in Dallas (214-444-4444), and you may have seen television, radio, bus ads, and other images of the firm around Dallas. But did you know that the Lion Law firm team opened a new location in Fort Worth (817-444-4444) this fall off of East Loop 820 South? The new Thompson Law location exists to serve clients all over the Metroplex even better. From our additional office space, we have increased convenience for our clients on the Fort Worth side of town to get the resources and help they need from their team of personal injury experts. 

Thompson Law is continually striving to improve and provide better and better service to our clients, delivering the absolute best client service experience possible injury accident victims. If you have experienced a personal injury or automobile accident anywhere in Texas, we are here for you. Even minor accidents can have serious physical consequences, and our sophisticated team of litigators and legal professionals will take time to understand and negotiate your claim for the highest possible settlement. Additionally, our approach to every case is a compassionate one.

Caring for clients like family is central to who we are, and it’s why we do what we do. Contact us online or give us a call at any of the 4’s numbers in DFW – 214-444-4444, 817-444-4444, 972-444-4444, or 469-444-4444 – to connect with our injury experts for a free consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The 4’s are always on your side, so if you’re injured anywhere in DFW, call THE FOURS for help. 

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