Dallas
UMR Index
Score: 55.3%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 38.9%
Public Transit
Score: 46.6%
| Population | 6.8 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 5,278 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 1,281 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 87,592 |
What Dallas Does Well in Urban Mobility
As the city continues to grow in population and area, the Dallas government has invested in autonomous vehicles. Cruise, an automated ride-hailing service, expected to hit the streets by the end of 2023.
Dallas has well-connected and maintained roadways with a robust traffic management system. Its 2030 vision for a 50% reduction in crash injuries aims to improve this by lowering speed limits on residential streets to 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Dallas’ Transportation System
An emphasis on car infrastructure, a sprawling area, and a lack of car-free zones and bike paths leave residents discouraged from walking or cycling. Dallas is preparing a new plan to outline new cycle roadway improvements.
Despite high government investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, station density remains low and challenges residents looking to switch to EVs. However, city plans aim to install 1,500 chargers by 2030.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Dallas Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
With most of Dallas' trips completed via personal cars, the city lags behind Boston in car ownership, with Dallas' residents owning an average of 1.75 times more cars than Bostonians. Dallas can discourage personal car usage by introducing car-free zones to heavily walked areas and by limiting car parking. Dallas would need to offer alternative mobility options by promoting public transit, active mobility, and shared mobility such as car-sharing or ride-hailing. The city can improve its public transit offering and develop its active mobility infrastructure through bike lanes or bike-sharing program expansions.
With a public transit modal share roughly 12% the size of Boston, Dallas lags behind its peers. The city should look to improve its public transit offering by increasing station density to limit walk times for commuters. Adding routes and stops for buses and streetcars can help connect residents with rail stations — a cost-effective improvement that would help lower walking distances and overall commute times. In the longer run, adding or extending existing rail lines will be key to building out the city's public transit offering for residents, but that effort will be a time-intensive and expensive undertaking.