6 December 26, 2024-January 1, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Highways in the Danger Zone Dallas traffic death toll remains consistent despite initiatives. BY ALYSSA FIELDS T he traffic death toll in Dallas has kept pace with prior years de- spite local and statewide initia- tives to make roads safer. According to a report from NBC 5, 207 people have died in traffic acci- dents on Dallas roads in 2024. Traffic fatal- ities have increased slightly from last year, when 205 people were killed. Earlier this year, Forbes named North Texas drivers the worst in the state. Both Texas and Dallas have a higher rate of fatal car crashes than the national average. There was not a single day in Texas without a traffic-related fatal- ity in 2023. Frequent speed traps along heavy traffic corridors are typically viewed as one of the natural solutions to the problem. The pres- ence of speed checks can create a phenome- non known as the “halo effect.” Drivers slow down when they see a police vehicle and maintain a reduced speed for a short period, but the city doesn’t have the manpower to effectively layer speed checks. “Police presence, as a whole, will assist in encouraging drivers to follow all traffic laws and to drive in a safe and courteous man- ner,” Dallas Police Information Officer Mi- chael Dennis, said in an email. Increasing police presence has been a hot topic in public safety, especially in Dallas as of late. The recent passage of Proposition U requires the city to maintain a police force of 4,000 officers, but Dallas has never had a force nearly that large. Instead, the force has witnessed considerable ebbs and flows throughout the past 10 years, culminating in the current shortage. The city, without a permanent police chief, is now tasked to find around 900 additional officers to meet the new minimum. Even if the police force did grow, it may not reduce unsafe driving habits. Research- ers in Florida found that increased police presence on roads does little to improve driving conditions. The study used citations and warning data to assess the effects of law enforcement presence, frequency and dura- tion on vehicle speeds. “The research findings demonstrate that the effects of police presence and number of citations and warnings on vehicle speeds were instantaneous, but no lasting impact of police presence was observed,” the study said. Another method to address Dallas’ well- cataloged need for speed is the use of speed cameras. A law passed in 2019 bans cameras that take pictures of drivers speeding to use for mailed tickets, but the Dallas Police De- partment is advocating to reintroduce speed cameras and has identified it as a priority ahead of the 2025 legislative session. To reduce the number of fatalities on Dallas roads, the city launched Vision Zero Dallas in 2019, a strategic plan intended to eliminate traffic-related deaths. The plan, backed by Mayor Eric Johnson, is “based on the belief that no loss of life is acceptable and that all traffic fatalities and severe inju- ries are preventable.” The plan’s aim has been to reduce speeds, prioritize pedestrian and bicyclist safety and focus on equity. To achieve these goals, the Vision Zero Dallas relies on increased police presence and speed limit enforcement, en- hanced education among pedestrians and creation of “a culture of safety.” As noted, however, increased police pres- ence anywhere in Dallas for any purpose is tough to come by these days. “There’s not one solution, it will take all of us working together to save lives on Texas roads,” Adam Hammons, a Texas Depart- ment of Transportation (TxDOT) represen- tative, wrote in an email. “TxDOT can engineer safety solutions and educate driv- ers, law enforcement can enforce the laws, but it’s up to drivers as well to make safe de- cisions on the road.” Vision Zero is a national movement with 53 participating cities. Since 2022, the plan in Dallas has garnered more than $3 million in general funds, and the 2024 city budget allo- cated another $12.5 million to the program. Despite good intentions, the program has been largely ineffective since it was adopted. “Other cities are also struggling with this process,” Gus Khankarli, Dallas transporta- tion director, told The Dallas Morning News in April. “It’s a major challenge as cities try to implement the Vision Zero concept.” Traffic fatalities across the state de- creased between 2022 and 2023. Still, the state is responding to its uniquely high fatal car crash rate by launching a new marketing initiative, Drive Like a Texan. The new plan, from TxDOT, uses road- side messaging to encourage camaraderie among Texas drivers. The plan will use so- cial media, websites, television and bill- boards to spread a “unifying message.” “We want a fresh, heartfelt approach to how we talk about road safety,” said TxDOT Deputy Executive Director Brandye Hen- drickson in a press release. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived here, or where you’re from. All that really matters is that you em- brace those values that represent the best of Texas. The message is simple: take pride in how we treat each other on and off the road.” ▼ POPULATION SUBURBAN SPRAWL NORTH TEXAS POPULATION GROWS TO 8.3 MILLION. BY ALYSSA FIELDS E verything is bigger, not just in Texas, but in North Texas, including the growing population. DFW is once again the most populous region in the state with 8.3 million residents. The increase is largely due to the growth of northern subur- ban cities, according to a study from the Texas Demographic Center. North Texas gained over half a million new residents in the last four years. Collin County witnessed the most extreme growth, with an additional 145,000 residents be- tween 2020 and 2024. Collin, Dallas, Den- ton and Tarrant counties each exceed one million residents. As of 2023, North Texas counties made up almost a third of Texas’ population. Much of the growth in Collin County was in the four corners, Allen, Frisco, McK- inney and Plano. High praise for Plano and Frisco can explain the growth witnessed in Collin County. Both cities are routinely named as some of the safest, fastest-grow- ing, and best places to raise a family in the country. Both cities are examples of live- work-play communities, a real estate devel- opment structure that designs neighborhoods with easy access to shop- ping, dining and workspaces. Plano and Frisco are corporate hubs as well, hosting the headquarters of food and beverage in- dustry titans Keurig-Dr. Pepper, Frito-Lay, Pizza Hut and PepsiCo. According to the report, Fort Worth is the fastest-growing city in the state. It’s also the fastest-growing of the 30 most populous cities in the country. On the brink of 1 million residents, Cowtown is the fourth-most-populous city in Texas, just above Austin. Its population has increased by 7.7% in four years. While the more populated counties north of Interstate 30 get the most atten- tion, counties on the southern border of Dallas have witnessed higher growth per- centages. Ellis County increased by 16.3%, Johnson County by 19.2% and Navarro County by 7.2%. Travis County, home of the state capi- tal, Austin, grew by 5.9%, the largest per- centage increase of any county with a major city. Harris County (Houston) in- creased by 2.5%, or 117,000 people, and Bexar County (San Antonio) by 4.8%, or 96,000 people. The study uses local birth and death re- cords to determine its yearly totals, which differ from the U.S. census reports. | UNFAIR PARK | Nikki Williams After local and statewide initiatives to decrease traffic fatalities, 2024 ends with more deaths recorded than 2023. >> p8
