TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: Dallas Area Rapid Transit to launch new traffic management program

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is set to initiate a new program in April—part of a nationwide federal study—to better monitor traffic conditions on U.S. 75 near Dallas. The agency also announced plans to launch a new website to keep motorists informed on potential delays in real time.

The highway is one of the pioneer sites for the Integrated Corridor Management study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The highway was chosen for the project largely due to its high daily traffic volume, an average of 266,000 vehicles per day.

DART’s new website, 511DFW.com, will compile data from all of the agencies monitoring traffic in the area, including four cities, the Texas Department of Transportation and the North Texas Tollway Authority. DART also installed more than 40 of its own detectors along arterial routes. As a result, visitors to 511DFW.com will be able to check traffic conditions at any time, be alerted to potential issues and even get recommendations for alternate routes.

DART announced that the site will launch in early April. The entire project carries a total cost of $9 million; the U.S. DOT contributed $5.3 million.