I recently flew into Dallas. The view from the window seat displayed the Metroplex’s massive new interchanges and freeway widening projects. It was truly stunning how much progress Texas has made to expand its roadway network.
We joke in Los Angeles that our directions are just a jumble of numbers (e.g., “take the 91 to the 71, jump over to the 210 which turns into the 134, grab the 170 and exit to the 5.”) Dallas has so many freeways, the locals may also talk that way (e.g., “take the 820 to the 30…”). Perhaps the invasion of Californians may bring the lingo with them in their U-Haul trucks.
Unlike Los Angeles, Dallas is a newer city — one that learned from California’s mistakes. As a result, I drove from downtown to Arlington at 5:00 PM at rush hour, and it took just under an hour. A similar commute in Los Angeles would take twice as long.
Texas is doing something very right. And in the process, they are making some pretty icky mistakes. In this video, I explore how feeder (frontage) roads contribute to an ugly form of highway commercial.