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Texas' Car-Centric Roads Exposed: TXDOT Calls for Transit-First Future

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Tuesday, November 11th 2025 at 13:25 GMT by KBTX

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Texas Still Drives on its Roads – A TXDOT Report Calls for a Transit‑First Future

A fresh Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) mobility study released on November 10, 2025, confirms what many policymakers and planners have been warning for years: the state remains overwhelmingly car‑centric, and the gaps in public transit are widening as the population grows and traffic congestion mounts. According to the report—published by TXDOT’s Office of Planning and Policy—the share of daily trips made by private vehicle has climbed to 95 % in the 2025 baseline, while transit modes (bus, rail, and rideshare) collectively account for a modest 3 % of all trips. To keep pace with projected mobility demands through 2055, the report recommends a comprehensive, multimodal expansion that could shift a substantial portion of the state’s travel away from automobiles.

Key Findings of the 2025 Mobility Report

1. Population Growth and Trip Volume
   Texas is projected to add 5.2 million residents by 2055, which will translate into roughly 1.8 billion more vehicle trips annually. If the current 95 % car‑usage rate persists, roadways will become increasingly congested, especially in the metro‑area cores of Dallas‑Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

2. Transit Coverage is Inadequate
   The report quantifies that only 2 % of all roads in Texas are dedicated to bus transit, and a mere 0.5 % are rail corridors. Even in the major metros, bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors exist in only about a third of the city‑wide transit networks, and there are no high‑speed rail links between the largest hubs.

3. Environmental Impact
   With the majority of trips still powered by gasoline or diesel, Texas is set to exceed the federal 2030 greenhouse‑gas emissions target by over 40 %. The report estimates that expanding transit could cut annual CO₂ emissions by up to 1.3 million metric tons by 2055—an equivalent to taking 500,000 passenger vehicles off the road each year.

4. Equity Considerations
   Low‑income and rural communities, which already have limited transit options, will be disproportionately affected by congestion and lack of mobility. The study shows that without a robust public transit system, these populations will face growing barriers to employment, healthcare, and education.

Recommendations for Action

TXDOT’s mobility study lays out a “road‑map” for transforming Texas’s transportation ecosystem:

1. Invest in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail
   The report identifies four BRT corridors in the Dallas‑Fort Worth area that could capture up to 400,000 daily riders if expanded, and calls for a $12 billion investment in light rail between Austin and San Antonio by 2040.

2. Create a Statewide Public Transit Authority
   To streamline funding and coordination across jurisdictions, TXDOT recommends establishing an agency that could oversee regional transit projects, negotiate federal funding, and implement integrated fare‑payment systems.

3. Reallocate a Portion of Highway Funding
   The study suggests diverting 5 % of the $28 billion annual Highway and Mobility Fund toward public transit projects, particularly in the metro regions where congestion is most acute.

4. Support Multimodal Hubs and Complete Streets
   Integrating bike lanes, pedestrian paths, and transit stops into highway and arterial plans could increase overall public transit use by 15 % in the next decade.

5. Encourage Public‑Private Partnerships (PPPs)
   The report outlines several PPP models that could accelerate transit expansion while mitigating fiscal risk for the state.

Voices from the Field

• Texas Transportation Commissioner, Dan Stanforth: “We’re at a crossroads. Our roads have served us well, but they’re no longer the future. This report gives us the data we need to commit to a transit‑first vision that benefits all Texans.”
• TXDOT Planning Director, Sarah Martinez: “Our findings underscore that investing in transit isn’t just about reducing congestion—it’s about equity, sustainability, and economic resilience. The challenge is aligning budgets and politics to make it happen.”

Legislative and Funding Landscape

The report notes that while the Texas Legislature has appropriated $6 billion for transit over the past decade, those funds are often earmarked for highway maintenance and new construction, rather than for new transit infrastructure. Bills such as the “Texas Mobility and Infrastructure Reallocation Act” (introduced in 2023) have faced opposition from car‑centric interest groups, but the study’s data may galvanize lawmakers to reconsider the allocation of future budgets.

TXDOT’s full mobility report, available for download on the state’s website (link: https://www.txdot.gov/about/press-releases/2025-mobility-report.pdf), includes detailed tables on projected trip growth, cost–benefit analyses of proposed transit corridors, and a comparative study of other states that have successfully shifted their transportation mix toward public transit.

What This Means for Texans

For residents, the study translates into a call for patience and advocacy. Public transit expansions often take 4–6 years from planning to operation, but the benefits—reduced commute times, lower travel costs, improved air quality—will be felt long before the last bridge is laid. Businesses, too, stand to gain from a more accessible workforce and lower logistics costs.

In sum, TXDOT’s latest mobility report confirms that Texas can no longer afford to be a one‑mode state. The data are stark: with car travel set to dominate for decades, the state must act now to build a transit network that serves all Texans, protects the environment, and ensures economic competitiveness. Whether lawmakers heed these recommendations remains to be seen, but the momentum behind the report’s findings is a strong indicator that the conversation about Texas’s transportation future has just gotten louder.