The influx of people into the DFW area is turning it into a thriving metropolis that could soon rival some of the big names here in the US. With the population soaring, DFW's population of 6,397,000 has already surpassed San Francisco metro area's population of 3,313,000. As roads become more congested, the need for reliable public transportation is a growing concern. If we look at successful urban metropolises, there is a common thread: a strong public transit system. D.A.R.T. simply isn't a strong public transit system to take DFW into the future.
So what's wrong with D.A.R.T.? From the consumer view, it's slow, cumbersome, and goes well out of the way to get people to their destination. This leads to people spending over three hours using D.A.R.T. to reach a destination that would take 15 or 20 minutes in a car. It's impractical and frustrating. It is also not feasible for use in a commute situation. There is no way someone could feasibly use D.A.R.T. to go back and forth to work if it will take 3-4 hours to do so.
So why is D.A.R.T. so impractical? As bad as it sounds...poor planning. Especially when it comes to the buses, the routes are very poorly set up. There are far too many stops and the routes are way too long. The stops should be spaced further apart so the bus is not constantly stopping. shorter routes not only help the buses keep their schedule, it cuts down on people having to go long distances out of their way to reach their destination. The costs for implementing a few more buses for a system like this is slightly higher, but that cost is quickly recovered by higher ridership. People are far more likely to ride the bus when the bus is a quick and efficient means of transportation.
Buses and trains alike would benefit from express routes. By implementing routes that skip all of the stops between a popular starting point and a popular ending point, lots of people could reach their destination in a reasonable timeframe. D.A.R.T. does have the Trinity Railway Express, but that only goes between Dallas and Fort Worth. People around here travel a lot of other places, too. I find it interesting that this is called an "express line" yet there are several stops along the way...
There is stereotype that Texans would rather die than leave their vehicle at home. Granted, I have met some people here that seem to have an attitude like that. But the truth is, as our population grows, highway congestion will continue to grow with it. Road construction will not resolve the issue. In fact, the science tells us that making the roads bigger only serves to create more traffic.1 The true answer to congested roads is a strong public transit system that can service all facets of DFW society.
What can be done about it? While requesting federal funds in January of this year, the Texas Department of Transportation asked for nearly half a trillion dollars for roads and highways, while asking for less than $86 million for public transportation with only $3 million of that going toward urban public transportation.2 So the Texas DOT wants to "invest" extreme amounts of money into something that has been proven not just to not help traffic congestion, but to work against the goal; to be counterproductive, and to ignore something that has been proven to help relieve traffic congestion. Instead, the DOT should focus on the areas of infrastructure that will work to resolve the issue, not compound it.
What's the take-away? As Texans we need to understand and realize that this state is popular. People are coming here in droves. Traffic is only going to get worse, not better. The concept of driving everywhere we go is simply not viable. The alternatives are not very appealing at the moment. Uber and Lyft can be okay, but they are subject to the same traffic as driving our own vehicles. Public transportation could be an option, only Texas doesn't think it's a priority. It's considered low class. It's something only people who can't afford a vehicle are forced to use. We need to let are representatives know that isn't the case. We don't like sitting in traffic. We want another option. We want to be able to ride a train or trolley that isn't subject to the same traffic rules, only we want it to be fast, convenient, and efficient.
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